Ex-US Marine Paul Whelan holds Paul’s Life Matters’ banner as he’s jailed for 16 years for spying in Russia
AN ex-US Marine has been jailed today for 16 years after being found guilty of spying in a “sham trial” in Russia. Paul Whelan, 50, held up a sign saying “Paul’s Life Matters” in the courtroom in Moscow while urging Donald Trump to take action. Whelan – who holds US, British, Canadian and Irish passports […]
AN ex-US Marine has been jailed today for 16 years after being found guilty of spying in a “sham trial” in Russia.
Paul Whelan, 50, held up a sign saying “Paul’s Life Matters” in the courtroom in Moscow while urging Donald Trump to take action.
Whelan – who holds US, British, Canadian and Irish passports – was arrested in a hotel room in the Russian capital on December 28, 2018, by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents.
Moscow claims that the 50-year-old was caught with a computer flash drive containing classified data.
The American pleaded not guilty claiming he was given the drive by a Russian acquaintance who told him it contained holiday pictures.
He claims he was framed by a friend of 10 years who is a spy working for the FSB.
‘SHAM TRIAL’
Whelan was shown during the trial today holding up a handwritten sign that read: “Sham Trial! Meatball Surgery! No Human Rights! Paul’s Life Matters! Decisive Action from POTUS and PMs needed! Happy Birthday Flora”.
According to reports, Flora is the American’s dog.
Whelan claims all the court proceedings were conducted in Russian, meaning he didn’t understand a word.
He said: “This is all a political theater.”
US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said there was no evidence to prove the 50-year-old’s guilt and demanded he be released.
“His conviction is a mockery of justice,” said the diplomat, adding that the judgement would not have a “good influence” on the already frosty relations between Washington and Moscow.
The US embassy tweeted after the verdict quoting the Ambassador, saying: “Fair and transparent? No. Evidence produced? No. The world is watching.”
In a statement, David Whelan, Paul’s twin brother, said: “We had hoped that the court might show some independence but, in the end, Russian judges are political, not legal, entities.
“We understand that Paul’s lawyers may appeal this decision within the next two weeks.
‘PAUL’S LIFE MATTERS’
“We hope that, in their continued search for justice for Paul, that the appeal is successful. But Russians do not expect justice from their legal system, and neither do we.”
Russian prosecutors claim Whelan, who will serve 16 years in a maximum security prison, is a ranking US military intelligence colonel.
His trial was largely closed to the public after authorities insisted it involved the discussion of state secrets which the American is alleged to have stolen.
MOST READ IN NEWS
However, Whelan’s lawyer Vladimir A. Zherebenkov told the New York Times that the prosecution offers little evidence to support their claims.
He said: “Paul knew dozens of people in Russia, not a single one of them said that he tried to recruit them.”
Whelan claims he was in Moscow for a friend’s wedding when he was arrested in 2018.
He was working as a security director for the US auto parts supplier BorgWarner and had previously served in the Marines, which he left in 2007 on a bad-conduct discharge.
GOT a story? EMAIL exclusive@the-sun.com