The bipartisan leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee are demanding that Russian President Vladimir Putin release Paul Whelan, an American citizen that has been detained in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges.
Mr. Whelan, 50, has been jailed in Russia since being arrested at a Moscow hotel in late 2018 and accused of espionage. He has denied spying and has said he was “set up.”
Russian officials have said that Mr. Whelan was arrested while carrying a USB drive containing classified information. Mr. Whelan, a former marine, has stated that it had been slipped into his pockets moments earlier by an acquaintance he identified as being employed by Russian security services.
The U.S. lawmakers are now demanding that Mr. Putin “end this mockery of justice” and release Mr. Whelan back to the U.S.
In a statement Tuesday, committee Chairman Eliot Engel, New York Democrat, and Ranking Member Michael McCaul, Texas Republican, said Mr. Whelan “has already had to endure more than we could even imagine – all at the hands of the Putin regime, which has shown complete disdain for the rule of law and human rights.”
The lawmakers said the Russian government has not provided substantial evidence against Mr. Whelan, and has refused to grant him the necessary rights to defend himself in court.
They also claim Mr. Whelan has been “cruelly denied necessary medical care and the ability to speak to his family.”
Mr. Whelan’s trial began behind closed doors last month. He faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
John Sullivan, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, said he has been turned away from the trial twice and accused Moscow of making a “mockery of justice.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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