A British diplomat has visited UK and US citizen Paul Whelan in a Russian prison where he is serving a 16-year jail term for espionage, his family said on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th December, 2021) A British diplomat has visited UK and US citizen Paul Whelan in a Russian prison where he is serving a 16-year jail term for espionage, his family said on Tuesday.
"Consul Sarah Pilbeam from the UK Embassy visited him last week (12/21) to provide consular support and boost his morale," the family said in a statement on the third anniversary of his arrest in Russia.
The family expressed the hope that Paul will be released in 2022.
"The Biden Administration has raised Paul's wrongful detention in their many contacts with Russian counterparts, including by President (Joe) Biden himself. We hope that 2022 is the year that Paul's freedom is restored to him," the statement read. "We look forward to his return and hope that it happens before a fourth anniversary comes around."
Paul Whelan, who holds American, British, Canadian and Irish citizenship, is serving his sentence in Russia's Mordovia region after a Moscow court sentenced him to 16 years in prison in June 2020 on charges of espionage. He denies the charges but did not challenge the verdict in hope of being part of a potential prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia.
