US Condemns Russia’s 16-Year Sentence for Alleged American Spy
By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – The United States has condemned Russia for sentencing an ex-marine to 16 years in a high-security prison for spying, charges he vehemently denies.
Paul Whelan, 50, was convicted Monday by a court in Moscow in a case he has called highly political. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was “outraged” at the ruling. He stressed that the decision was made “on the basis of a secret trial, with secret evidence, and without appropriate allowances for defense witnesses.”
He added that “Paul’s treatment by Russian authorities continues to be appalling, and we demand his immediate release.”
That view was shared by U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, who called the court ruling a “mockery of justice.” He warned the decision could further strain U.S.-Russian relations that are already at roughly their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.
Paul Whelan, also a security executive in the U.S, was detained in Moscow in 2018 with a USB drive which security officers claimed contained state secrets. Whelan says he was set up and called the trial a “sham.”
He said that without an interpreter, he could not even understand the proceedings.
However, his brother remains hopeful, saying claims Moscow wants to exchange him for a notorious arms dealer or Russian properties ceased or shuttered by Washington. David Whelan told reporters that his brother was not a spy but a victim of a Russian plan for a prisoner’s exchange.
Russia earlier demanded the U.S. release arms trader Viktor Bout, dubbed “Merchant of Death” for supplying several rebel groups and alleged drug smugglers. It also seeks the freedom of Konstantin Yaroshenko, an alleged drug dealer, from prison, explained Whelan.
Russia has also made it clear that it wants to resume using rural estates in Long Island, Maryland, and the Russian consulate in San Francisco.
The properties were closed in response to Moscow’s alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections.
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