The United States has not succeeded in resolving cases of Americans detained in Russia on espionage charges, the family of Paul Whelan said on Thursday after Russia arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 30th March, 2023) The United States has not succeeded in resolving cases of Americans detained in Russia on espionage charges, the family of Paul Whelan said on Thursday after Russia arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
"Unfortunately, the White House does not seem to have found a way to resolve cases like Paul's, where an American is falsely charged with espionage by the Kremlin," the Whelans said in a statement.
Earlier in the day, the FSB said that Gershkovich was detained in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on suspicion of espionage for the United States. The Lefortovo District Court of Moscow later formally arrested the journalist for two months. The Wall Street Journal denies the allegations of espionage.
Whelan's family said they were sorry to hear about Gershkovich's detention.
"While Paul did not have the benefit of the State Department's travel advisory warning that Russia takes American hostages, it sounds as though the frame up of Mr. Gershkovich was the same as it was in Paul's case," they stated.
The family called on US authorities to increase efforts to release Paul Whelan and make "more difficult" decisions if necessary.
"If Paul's case remains a priority, it begs the question whether enough resources have been brought to bear - leveraging the Executive Order, among other things - to encourage the Kremlin to redress the injustice they have inflicted on Paul. And if they haven't, then perhaps the well-meant words about being a priority are just that: words," the statement said.
At the same time, the Whelans thanked the State Department for its efforts to find a way to release Paul. "It is clear that some people have the will if not the means to bring Paul home," they said.
Paul Whelan � a citizen of the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland � was arrested in Russia in December 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of espionage. Whelan has maintained that he is innocent and insisted that he arrived in Russia for a friend's wedding.
