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Brother of Paul Whelan ‘heartened’ by US legislators' support

David Whelan believers that the freedom of an American should be the concern of the whole nation and is a "bi-partisan issue"

NEW YORK, March 11. /TASS/. The family of Paul Whelan, an American arrested in Russia on suspicion of espionage, is heartened by the support of US legislators, Paul’s brother David told TASS in an email on Monday.

"We are heartened by support from Senators Marco Rubio and Jeanne Shaheen and Representative Haley Stevens, and Representative Engel's statement on behalf of the House Foreign Relations Committee for Paul and concern about his treatment. It shows that the freedom of an American should be the concern of every American and is a bi-partisan issue," he said.

Read also

Suspected US spy Whelan not allowed phone calls, mail in Russian jail — brother

According to David Whelan, "Paul's detention - currently extended to May 28 but which can be extended repeatedly - is meant to isolate Paul." "While he remains in prison, the FSB investigator can continue to restrict access to communications and hinder consular access by the US and other governments. The Russian Foreign Ministry took nearly two weeks to respond to a US request for a consular visit. They are currently scheduled to visit Paul on the 15th," David noted.

Chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs Eliot Engel said in a statement earlier that "Russia’s treatment of Mr. Whelan reflects a blatant disregard of international law."

Whelan case

According to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Paul Whelan was detained in Moscow on December 28, 2018, while on a spy mission. The FSB Investigative Department opened an investigation under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code (espionage), which carries a punishment of ten to 20 years in prison.

Apart from US citizenship, Whelan also holds British, Canadian and Irish passports.

Whelan, 48, is corporate security director for automotive parts supplier BorgWarner. According to the Washington Post, he enlisted in the US Marines in 1994 and "rose through the ranks to become a staff sergeant, serving two tours in Iraq, in 2004 and 2006." However, Whelan "was discharged for bad conduct in 2008 after being convicted of several charges related to larceny.".

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