Only intervention by the U-S government, or President Trump personally, can save a Novi man from going to prison in Russia. That’s according to his family.
Paul Whelan appeared in a court in Moscow, charged with being a spy. Whelan, a security executive for the Borg Warner company, has been held in Russia since 2018. He denies any misconduct and says his arrest was in retaliation for U-S sanctions connected to Russian interference with the 2016 elections.
His brother, David Whelan, says the family is sure that Paul will be convicted in the Moscow court, where 100-percent of those charged with spying are convicted, and he will die in prison.
The U-S House passed a resolution by voice vote calling on Russia to release Whelan. The resolution calls on Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo to pressure the Russian government.
The resolution, spearheaded by Rep. Haley Stevens, includes language calling for Russia to “provide unrestricted consular access to Paul Whelan while he remains in detention” and ensure due process. It also “expresses sympathy” to Whelan’s family.
The measure calls for President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to up pressure on the Russian government to ensure a transparent judicial process is provided.
“By bringing up my resolution today, H.Res. 552, we are making clear to the Russian government and President Putin that Congress will not tolerate the indefinite detention of a U.S. Citizen without evidence,” Stevens said on the floor.
“We have repeatedly asked the Russian government to provide Paul with a fair and transparent judicial process to no avail. The State Department has been unwavering in their work on Paul’s behalf, especially [former] Ambassador [Jon] Huntsman. The Russian government has not provided timely updates about Paul’s case. They have not let him select his own attorney, and they have not provided unrestricted consular access. Next week will be Paul’s fourth pretrial detention hearing — enough is enough.”