US Embassy in Russia Says Was Not Allowed to Bring Thanksgiving Dinner to Whelan in Prison
Spokeswoman for the US Embassy in Moscow Rebecca Ross said on Wednesday that the Russian authorities had denied the mission's request to hand over a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner to US spy suspect Paul Whelan, who is currently under arrest and being held in a Moscow prison
Earlier in the day, Ross said that Julie Fisher, the charge d'affaires of the embassy, was supposed to bring the dinner to the Lefortovo detention facility on Wednesday but expressed hope that he would at least be able to talk to his family to mark the holiday.
"Russian authorities denied #PaulWhelan the minor comfort of a Thanksgiving dinner today.
As American families around the world gather, Paul marks 11 months in prison and can't even call his parents. This is shameful treatment @mfa_russia," Ross wrote on Twitter.
Whelan, a citizen of Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland, was arrested in December 2018 on charges of espionage. If convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to 20 years. Whelan has insisted he is innocent and arrived in Russia to attend a friend's wedding.
Earlier in November, the Moscow City Court decided to keep Whelan in detention until December 29.