- Whelan’s brother described ex-Marine’s ‘deterioration’
- Whelan has been in Russian prison for five years for alleged acts of espionage
The family of Paul Whelan, the former Marine currently held in a Russian prison, says he is “disintegrating.”
During a News Nation InterviewWhelan’s brother, David Whelan, described the grim state his brother now finds himself in after five years of captivity.
“It’s just disintegrating and will continue to do so,” David said.
‘Their cognitive mental health is deteriorating. We’re starting to get a sense of that in the phone calls. He has physical problems. He has a broken tooth and can’t fix it.
Whelan has been in Russian custody since shortly after Christmas in 2018, when he was in Russia to attend the wedding of a former fellow U.S. Marine.
He’s just disintegrating and will continue to do so,” David Whelan said of his brother Paul (pictured).
David, who is Paul’s twin, also said that neither the current nor the previous administration has been able to find a way to address the nuances of his brother’s case.
“I think they (the US government) are making it a priority, (but) I think they have failed so far and will continue not to find a way to bring Paul home.
“They still haven’t solved the puzzle of why Paul’s case is different,” he said.
He hopes the Biden administration will continue working on the issue and hopes his brother will “stay strong” in the meantime.
Last month, WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was held captive with Whelan in Russia for ten months but was freed in a prisoner exchange arranged by the Biden administration, said she was surprised that Whelan did not return home with her.
“When they closed the door (on the plane he took home), I thought, ‘Are you serious? “Aren’t you going to let this man come home right now,” he said during an interview.Interview with ABC.
In July 2022, Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges after carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in his luggage through Sheremetyevo International Airport.
She was ultimately released in a 1-for-1 trade that was specifically criticized for failing to return Whelan.
Griner was traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, sometimes referred to internationally as the “Merchant of Death”.
Paul Whelan, a former US Marine accused of espionage and arrested in Russia, stands inside the defendants’ cage during a hearing in a Moscow court on August 23, 2019.
The deal drew criticism from Republicans, who were upset that the White House failed to also hire Whelan. Responding to attacks from the right, White House officials acknowledged that prisoner exchanges are costly and added that they felt obligated to bring Griner home while they had the chance.
In his interview with GMA, Griner spoke with Robin Roberts about the awareness he is trying to raise around other Americans detained abroad, including Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested in 2023 also on alleged charges. of espionage.
In 2022, David Whelan said he worries his brother will never come home.
“I think we all realize that the calculations are not going to work for Paul to come home anytime soon unless the United States government is able to find concessions,” David Whelan said. “And so I think we’re not really sure what the path forward is.”
