NPR

Russia Grants U.S. Access To Paul Whelan, Arrested On Suspicion Of Spying

Russia's Federal Security Service, or FSB, says it arrested Whelan last week. Family members say he was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding, not to steal secrets.
Russia has granted U.S. consular officials access to Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen detained in Russia on suspicion of spying. Whelan appears here in a photo provided by the Whelan family.

Russia is allowing U.S. consular officials to speak to Paul Whelan, the U.S. citizen who was arrested last week by Russia's Federal Security Service, or FSB, on suspicion of spying. But family members say Whelan was visiting Moscow to attend a wedding, not to steal secrets.

The U.S. requested consular access to Whelan on Monday after learning of his arrest, the State Department told NPR earlier this week.

"We've made clear to the Russians our expectation that we

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
Police Enter UCLA Anti-war Encampment; Arizona Repeals Civil War-era Abortion Ban
Law enforcement officers have moved into a pro-Palestinian encampment at UCLA. Arizona lawmakers voted to repeal a Civil War-era abortion ban.
NPR3 min readAmerican Government
A Michigan Grassroots Effort Is Raising Reparations, While The Government Lags
The year 2020 was a turning point for Lansing, Michigan resident Willye Bryan. Between the racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd and the health disparities that hit the African American community during the pandemic, she knew it was t
NPR4 min read
A Poet Searches For Answers About The Short Life Of A Writer In 'Traces Of Enayat'
Poet Iman Mersal's book is a memoir of her search for knowledge about the writer Enayat al-Zayyat; it's a slow, idiosyncratic journey through a layered, changing Cairo — and through her own mind.

Related Books & Audiobooks