Russia pushed back Thursday against complaints raised about Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine accused of espionage, remaining jailed in Moscow for a full year as of this weekend.
In a series of tweets, the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Mr. Whelan of “deliberately” delaying his own court proceedings and lying about being threatened in prison.
“The fact that P. Whelan takes time and behaves defiantly, apparently, is a kind of tactics of failed agents of the US special services. Both Whelan and his curators understand the indisputable accusations of espionage, and therefore are afraid of trial,” the account tweeted in Russian.
Mr. Whelan, 49, was arrested in Moscow on Dec. 28, 2018, allegedly while carrying a USB drive containing classified information, and he has been jailed ever since at the city’s infamous Lefortovo prison.
He maintains he is innocent and was set up by an acquaintance employed by Russian security services, and he has previously characterized himself as being a “political prisoner” and has urged President Trump to intervene.
Prosecutors have not produced any evidence to substantiate the allegations against Mr. Whelan, whose advocates in the U.S. have urged Russia for months to either show proof or release him from prison.
A judge in Moscow ruled Christmas Eve for Mr. Whelan to remain jailed pending trial through at least March 29, more than 450 days since his arrest.
“Enough is enough,” Rebecca Ross, a spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Russia, tweeted afterward. “Let Paul go home.”
Mr. Whelan had intended to undergo a hernia operation in early 2019, and he has previously complained about being denied proper medical treatment while imprisoned.
“My personal safety has been threatened,” he said previously.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry dismissed concerns about Mr. Whelan’s well-being Thursday, tweeting that an examination several months ago did not reveal any “serious” health problems.
Mr. Whelan worked as a security director for a Michigan-based automotive parts company at the time of his arrest. He was born in Canada and raised in the U.S., and he holds passports issued by the American, British, Canadian and Irish governments.
“His health remains our collective concerns,” Bart Gorman, deputy chief of mission for the U.S. Embassy in Russia, said Monday after meeting Mr. Whelan and counterparts from the other countries.
“We ask once again for the Russian government to allow one of our doctors examine him,” he added.
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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