Whelan's Family Confident Court To Consider His Petition Once Information Received

Whelan's Family Confident Court to Consider His Petition Once Information Received

The family of US citizen Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia on espionage charges, is confident that the court in Russia will consider his petition for deportation to the United States

WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th September, 2021) The family of US citizen Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia on espionage charges, is confident that the court in Russia will consider his petition for deportation to the United States,

"I'm confident the Supreme Court will consider the petition once it has the information it requires from the Ministry of Justice, even if the Court decides against the transfer in the end," his brother David Whelan told Sputnik on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, the supreme court in Russia's Mordovia (where Whelan is serving his sentence) refused to consider the petition and sent it to the justice ministry for collecting more information "for preliminary coordination with the respective US bodies on the transfer of the convict." Whelan's lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, explained to Sputnik that the ministry should find out if the US is willing to accept his client and if he will serve his sentence there.

"The Supreme Court's press announcement does not say that the petition will not be considered, but that additional information is required," David Whelan said. "The Court says that it has left it without consideration. That is wholly different and not at all unexpected because an international prisoner transfer isn't entirely within the discretion of a Russian or US court."

This is a necessary procedural pause, and the court needs to get positions from interested agencies prior announcing further steps, he added.

"If the (Russian) Ministry (of Justice) doesn't support the transfer, or if the US Department of Justice doesn't support the transfer, the Court will need to know that before deciding the petition," he said.

Whelan is currently serving a 16-year prison sentence in Mordovia under a verdict that a Moscow court delivered last June. Whelan did not challenge the court verdict, as he hoped to be exchanged for some Russian citizen convicted in the US.