That first day, though - in a cage, with a dozen cameras trained on him - he looked tense and spoke little. The lawyer warns that the FSB is the "mightiest secret service, not only in Russia," and uses its own experts to examine any evidence for the court. "But it was very unusual.". By then, we'd learned that the American had visited Russia multiple times. Since his arrest, the media has pored over Whelan's past, discovering a bad conduct discharge from the Marines, a Russian social media page, and multiple trips to As he still works for the FSB, I can't identify him so I'll call him "Dmitry". Here's what we know about Mr Whelan and his case. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? While not as severe as a dishonorable discharge, a bad conduct discharge is a significant punishment in the U.S. military justice system. COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS WASHINGTON, D.C. - Navy U.S. military records released shortly after his arrest last week showed that Paul Whelan had been convicted at a court-martial of charges that included larceny but did not disclose the nature of his crime. [24] According to attorneys for Whelan, they could not provide the name of Whelan's Russian friend due to Russian secrecy rules, but Whelan's family identified the person as Ilya Yatsenko, whom the Russian newspaper Kommersant described as a major in the FSB's Department "K", which monitors Russian economic crimes. "I can't imagine he [Paul] retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman Jr. met with Whelan on January 2, 2019, while Whelan was in Russian custody. Alex Kasprak is an investigative journalist and science writer reporting on scientific misinformation, online fraud, and financial crime. Whelan went on to seek out more Russian friends, using the country's social networking service VK among others. Some observers have said they believe Whelan's arrest was made on flimsy grounds and is likely retribution for the arrest of a suspected Russian spy. She was imprisoned in the US in December 2018 and deported back to Russia in October 2019. ", the American wrote back. [14], On December 28, 2018, Whelan was arrested in the Moscow area by Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), which later confirmed his arrest. Its very grim. "Really, an exchange should be equal," he said. David Whelan issued a family statement on Friday on behalf of his brother, Paul Whelan, saying that the family was very pleased to know that staff of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow have been given consular access to Paul and confirmed that he is safe., He says the familys focus remains on ensuring that Paul is safe, well treated, has a good lawyer, and is coming home.. It does not have any facilities in Russia. Spy trials in Russia are not only heard in secret, the defence lawyers have to sign non-disclosure agreements covering the entire case. He thought it was cool to hang-out with FSB people and low level military personnel (probably anyone above a private rank would give him no attention). His job at BorgWarner involves overseeingsecurity for "facilities, assets and people" in Auburn Hills and around the world, Graham said. Whelan also worked as a Chelsea police officer from 1988-2000 as well as for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department, hetestified in a2013 court deposition. The US Embassy and government have been very vocal about Whelan's detention. In Whelan's case, there's the added nuance that his defence team were appointed and paid for by the Russian state. That was New Year's Eve 2018 and the start of a case that would embroil four western governments and pile pressure on relations with Russia that had already sunk to a post-Cold War low. He was discharged from the Marines for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of charges related to larceny, according to military and court records. David Whelan, Pauls brother, said in a statement that U.S. officials told them on Wednesday that Paul wouldnt be part of the exchange that freed Griner and expressed pessimism about the chance of seeing his brother go free. As described in a military justice fact sheet, this is "one of two types of punitive discharges that may be imposed on an enlisted person" and is "less severe than a Dishonorable Discharge.". Born in Canada to British parents of Irish heritage, he later moved to the US entitling him to multiple passports as a result. he wrote. To be correct, the Marines did not give Paul Whelan a Dishonorable Discharge. "[25][39], Whelan was initially held at the Correctional Colony No. Paul Whelan The pages also reveal his first friends in the Russian military. More: Paul Whelan's early life and the possibility of congressional intervention. "They want Yaroshenko and Bout, that's who they want back," Paul Whelan claimed, naming two high-profile Russian prisoners in America as the court bailiffs ushered me and my microphone out of the room. The Salisbury poisoning: What happened next? VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. But there's nothing glamorous about prison life in Lefortovo. He worked as an administrative clerk and chief before being discharged in 2008 for bad conduct. Whelan, 48, was arrested Friday in Moscow, and was charged with espionage. Coint, Prediction. The release of Brittney Griner, the American basketball star imprisoned in Russia who was exchanged Thursday for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, shed light on the case of another American prisoner, Paul Whelan. The below table shows the required personal life details of Paul Whelan. Whe He Dead? And adding to his discomfort was chronic pain from a hernia that eventually strangulated, resulting in emergency surgery. Just as there are groupies for rock bands, sports teams, and politicians, Whelan was a FSB groupie. Dustoff262 Charter Member / Moderator Officials have now confirmed that Whelan holds U.S., British and Irish citizenship. | Who is Paul Whelan, the ex-US Marine jailed in Russia? Though U.S. President Joe Biden had been attempting to secure the release of both Griner and Whelan in one move, Russian authorities refused to include Whelan in any trade. [37][38] His lawyers said they believed Russia would now seek a prisoner swap. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? He previously identified himself as a former sheriff deputy, which The Michigan native was not part of the prisoner swap which saw Ms Griner exchanged for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout - an omission that his brother has called a "catastrophe for Paul". Brother of detained American speaks. Griner's release renewed attention on another American citizen detained in Russia: Paul Whelan. It seems unusual behaviour if he was trying to recruit the man for US intelligence. 26 Aug. 2008, https://www.jag.navy.mil/courts/documents/archive/2008/WHELAN,%20P.N.%20200800152%20PCE.pdf. At the time of his arrest, he was corporate security director at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier. Quite dilapidated. The former Marine said he was living in quite crowded spaces and estimated that his building housed 50 to 60 people. Why was Griner detained? Some critics of Biden have faulted him for not bringing Whelan back, often citing Whelan's service in the Marines as part of that argument. At that, the judge ordered the TV cameras to be removed from court. Contact Kristen Jordan Shamus: 313-222-5997 or kshamus@freepress.com. Concern for Whelan flared up again in November after he was not able to contact his family for more than a week and Russian authorities claimed he had been sent to a hospital. Is climate change killing Australian wine? A recent newspaper report claimed that the American had come to FSB attention over a decade ago when, as Kommersant's source says, he "actively" began contacting Russian servicemen. "If you've got mixed up in something like this, then you're in the most complicated story of your life," Ivan Pavlov says. A citizen of four countries the United States, Canada, Britain and Ireland, Whelan was a former sheriffs deputy and served several tours in Iraq as an active-duty reservist. Since his arrest, the Marine Corps has disclosed that he was discharged in 2008 for bad conduct, a revelation that "absolutely stunned" his twin brother David. He said the evidence was only ever examined by "incompetent and interested parties". The case was immediately big news that grew further when it emerged that Whelan was a citizen of four countries. On his latest trip, in December 2018, he was in Moscow for the wedding of a fellow ex-Marine to a Russian woman. Last year, he was sent to solitary confinement for a month. "I think Paul will be taking it very hard. "This is 'Lubyanka' where the KGB has our spies locked in the basement!! He was convicted at a special court-martial in January 2008 on several charges related to larceny and was given a bad-conduct discharge in December 2008 at the rank of private. What are your opinions for this swap? The Latest: Marines provide details of Whelan court-martial The Marine Corps released Whelan's service record, showing that hewas convicted in a 2008 court-martial on charges related to larceny. Join our brand new verified AMN Telegram channel and get important news uncensored! Whelan, his family and the U.S. government have repeatedly stated that the charges are baseless and that he was framed. "My grandfather came from Ireland to England and my father came from England to Canada, and that's where we were born. Irish officials say a man being detained by Russia, Paul Whelan, has requested help from the Irish government and report they will do what they can to come to his aid. Paul Whelan They have also said the CIA would not recruit someone with Mr. Whelans bad conduct discharge. There were even allegations that Norway was under pressure to obtain the information from its partners in Nato. [36][e], On June 15, 2020, Whelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison for espionage by a court in Moscow. In terms of severity of punishment, this form of discharge is second to and distinct from a dishonorable discharge. Hunt says Friday that we are giving him every support that we can, but we dont agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games., Hunt adds that we are extremely worried about him and his family.. He was arrested in his room, just hours after showing some of the other wedding guests around the grounds of the Kremlin.