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State Department says US made 'serious proposal' to Russia to release Paul Whelan

Commenting on information about the alleged relevant proposal from the US side, the spokesman told TASS that "[US State] Secretary [Antony] Blinken remains committed to bringing Paul [Whelan] home"

© AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez

WASHINGTON, October 25. /TASS/. The United States has made a ‘serious proposal’ to Russia on the issue of releasing US citizen Paul Whelan, who was convicted of espionage, a spokesman for the US State Department said.

Commenting on information about the alleged relevant proposal from the US side, the spokesman told TASS that "[US State] Secretary [Antony] Blinken remains committed to bringing Paul [Whelan] home." "We offered Russia a serious proposal for Paul’s release and will not stop working on his case until he is reunited with his family," the diplomat said.

CNN previously reported that Whelan spoke with the US Secretary of State in August. At the time, the US citizen was disappointed that work on his exchange was moving slowly.

Whelan, who holds US, Canadian and Irish citizenship, as well as UK citizenship, was detained while conducting a spy raid on December 28, 2018, by Russian FSB officers in a room of the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. Investigators initiated a criminal case against him under Article 276 of the Russian Criminal Code ("Espionage"). The Moscow City Court found Whelan guilty and sentenced him to 16 years in a strict regime colony. Washington has repeatedly indicated that it considers Whelan one of the candidates for a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States.

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