US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman on Wednesday visited American citizen Paul Whelan who has been detained in Moscow on charges of espionage, Paul's brother David Whelan said in a statement
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd October, 2019) US Ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman on Wednesday visited American citizen Paul Whelan who has been detained in Moscow on charges of espionage, Paul's brother David Whelan said in a statement."Ambassador Huntsman visited Paul today at Lefortovo prison. Tomorrow, he leaves Moscow," David Whelan said.
In August, Huntsman resigned from his post as the Trump administration's ambassador to Russia.
David Whelan said Huntsman's visit lasted an hour and half and the family expressed gratitude to the ambassador for his support.
They also expressed hope that the new US ambassador will continue providing support to his brother.
Paul Whelan is a former US marine who has been detained in Moscow since December when the Russian authorities arrested him on espionage charges. According to information provided to the Russian court, he had regularly visited Russia since 2007. He holds US, UK, Canadian and Irish citizenship.
Whelan has denied the espionage charges against him and has insisted he arrived in Russia to attend a friend's wedding. If convicted, he faces a sentence from ten to 20 years in prison.
