Rep. Walberg renews call for release of Michigan man imprisoned in Russia
Rep. Tim Walberg says Paul Whelan’s case must not be forgotten. “The House must send an unequivocal message to the Kremlin. It is time to end the maltreatment of Paul Whelan,” he says.
Michigan native Paul Whelan is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on espionage charges he and the U.S. vehemently deny.
Members of Michigan’s congressional delegation renewed their call Wednesday for Russia to release a Novi native imprisoned on charges of espionage.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Russian government to release Michigan native Paul Whelan. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) co-sponsored the resolution, and worked with Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Waterford) to advocate for Whelan’s release since he was detained in December 2018.
Related: Michigan Native Arrested In Russia Sentenced to 16 Years In Prison for Espionage
Russian officials arrested Paul Whelan in Moscow, claiming he had a flash drive containing classified information.
Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, says he thought the drive contained vacation photos and maintains he was set up by a Russian who owed him money and was seeking a promotion from his superiors. U.S. officials say Russia never presented any hard evidence against Whelan. And his potential release seemed a likely casualty of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine
But now the U.S. and Russia have agreed on a prisoner exchange — just one involving another American held by Moscow. On Wednesday, the two countries traded a Marine veteran jailed by Moscow for a convicted Russian drug trafficker serving a long prison sentence in America.
The deal involving Trevor Reed, an American imprisoned for nearly three years, would have been a notable diplomatic maneuver even in times of peace but it was all the more surprising because it was done as Russia’s war with Ukraine has driven relations with the U.S. to their lowest point in decades.
Walberg says Whelan’s case must not be forgotten.
“The House must send an unequivocal message to the Kremlin. It is time to end the maltreatment of Paul Whelan,” Walberg says.
President Biden vows the U.S. will bring Whelan home.
But Whelan’s family say they fear the situation could follow a similar path to what’s happened in Iran, where one American was released a few years ago while two others have been detained there since 2015.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
