Former US marine Paul Whelan faces 18 years in Russia’s ‘harsh regime colony’ for spying
- Whelan was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets but insists he was framed
- Whelan, who was head of global security at a US auto parts supplier, said he was visiting Russia to attend a wedding
Paul Whelan, 50, was detained in Moscow in December 2018 for allegedly receiving state secrets but insists he was framed when he took a USB drive from an acquaintance thinking it contained holiday photos.
His trial, which has caused tensions between Moscow and Washington and sparked speculation of a prisoner swap, concluded with closing arguments on Monday.
Whelan’s lawyer told reporters after the session that prosecutors had requested 18 years for his client in a penal colony, just short of the maximum 20-year sentence he was facing.
“To be honest, we are in shock,” Vladimir Zherebenkov said outside the court.
The lawyer said Whelan reacted calmly to the prosecutor’s “very harsh” and was “behaving with dignity”.
Zherebenkov said that the prosecutor believed Whelan to be an officer – “at least a colonel” – at the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).