Paul Whelan’s household have welcomed the discharge of Brittney Griner from Russian custody, however say they’re “devastated” that he was left behind.
Ms Griner is on her method residence after US authorities negotiated a prisoner swap for infamous Russian arms supplier Viktor Bout.
White Home officers instructed CNN on Thursday that their Russian counterparts had refused to incorporate Mr Whelan, a former US Marine who has spent 4 years in custody, within the deal.
“It was a option to get Brittney or nothing,” the US official instructed CNN.
In an announcement emailed to several news outlets, Paul’s brother David Whelan stated: “I can’t even fathom how Paul will really feel when he learns. Paul has labored so laborious to outlive almost 4 years of this injustice.
“His hopes had soared with the data that the US authorities was taking concrete steps for as soon as in direction of his launch. He’d been worrying about the place he’d stay when he bought again to the US.”
Mr Whelan, a 52-year-old US, Irish, British and Canadian citizen, was arrested in December 2018 at a Moscow lodge and sentenced to 16 years in jail on espionage prices.
He strongly denies the costs.
Former US Marine Paul Whelan is serving a 16 yr jail time period on espionage prices
(Moscow Information Company)
Mr Whelan has been serving his sentence at a labour camp the place he works lengthy hours in a clothes manufacturing facility.
David Whelan instructed CNN in an interview on Thursday morning that he had been knowledgeable of Ms Griner’s impending launch a day earlier, which had helped him cope with the frustration.
His assertion continued: “And now what? How do you proceed to outlive, day after day, when you understand that your authorities has failed twice to free you from a overseas jail? I can’t think about he retains any hope {that a} authorities will negotiate his freedom at this level.”
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner pictured throughout a courtroom look in Moscow earlier this yr
( Related Press)
He stated it was clear that the US authorities had no concessions to supply that the Russians had been excited about.
“More and more, I fear that Paul himself gained’t survive 12 extra years in a Russian labour colony. He has tried to remain wholesome however one wonders how lengthy that dedication to maintain going can endure.”
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