US spy suspect Paul Whelan, detained in Russia on charges of espionage, has undergone a hernia surgery at the Sklifosofsky Institute in Moscow, his brother David Whelan said on Friday in a statement obtained by Sputnik
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th May, 2020) US spy suspect Paul Whelan, detained in Russia on charges of espionage, has undergone a hernia surgery at the Sklifosofsky Institute in Moscow, his brother David Whelan said on Friday in a statement obtained by Sputnik.
"The surgery was successful and he will be transferred back to Lefortovo today," David Whelan said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry informed the US embassy on Thursday evening that Whelan, who is imprisoned in Lefortovo jail, experiences "severe abdominal pain," the statement added.
Russian authorities did not provide other details about Whelan's health, the family said, adding they are worried he may be more susceptible to other illnesses or infections after the surgery.
"We hope that the prison will take steps so that Paul doesn't face any other health emergencies," the brother said.
Paul Whelan, who is also a citizen of the United Kingdom, Canada and Ireland, was detained in Russia in late 2018 on charges of espionage. Whelan insists on his innocence, stressing that he came to Russia to attend a friend's wedding.
