Biden vows to bring longtime detainee Paul Whelan home from Russia too
The former U.S. Marine has been held in Russia since 2018. As supporters celebrate Brittney Griner's release, they — Whelan himself included — are wondering why he was left behind.
As the Biden administration celebrates the homecoming of one prominent American detained in Russia — basketball star Brittney Griner — it's pledging to continue working to secure the release of another who's been there even longer.
Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan was detained in Moscow in 2018 on espionage charges, found guilty in a closed trial and is now nearly three years into a 16-year prison sentence. He denies the accusations, and U.S. officials have denounced his trial as unfair.
At the end of November, 52-year-old Whelan was briefly that had prompted concern in the White House over his whereabouts and condition.
