Paul Whelan, a U.S. Navy veteran who has been imprisoned in Russia for several years on what critics have called trumped-up charges, was attacked Tuesday by another inmate, his family said.
David Whelan said his brother was attacked at a work camp Tuesday afternoon.
He said his brother was working at a sewing table when a new inmate blocked part of the production line and Paul asked him to get out of the way.
“After repeated requests, the prisoner punched Paul in the face, breaking his glasses in the process, and attempted to punch him a second time,” David Whelan said in an email statement. “Paul stood up to block the second blow and other prisoners intervened to prevent the prisoner from continuing to attack Paul.”
He said his brother Paul asked the prison warden if he could speak to local prosecutors about a possible investigation into the alleged attack.
“He is also concerned that these types of attacks could occur at any time and, due to the various sharp instruments in the workshop, including the scissors that the other prisoner was holding today, could lead to a much more serious attack,” David said. Whelan. “Paul is a target because he is an American and anti-American sentiment is not uncommon among other prisoners.”
A State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the agency was concerned about the incident.
Jailed U.S. Navy veteran Paul Whelan was attacked Tuesday by another inmate at the Russian labor camp where he is being held. RT
“We are concerned about reports that Paul Whelan was assaulted by another prisoner at IK-17 on November 28,” the spokesperson said in an email. “The US Embassy in Moscow has been in contact with Paul by telephone and we understand that he is receiving medical treatment following this incident.”
The State Department also called on Russia to release Whelan and ensure that all U.S. citizens detained there are safe.
“We urge the Russian government to ensure fair treatment and adequate medical care for all American citizens detained in Russia. “Russia should immediately release Paul Whelan,” the spokesperson added.
Paul has asked the prison director if he can speak to local prosecutors about a possible investigation into the alleged attack. RT The State Department also called on Russia to release Whelan and ensure that all US citizens detained there are safe. RT
Whelan was arrested in December 2018 on charges of espionage and spying for the US government and sentenced to 16 years.
He and the United States have denied the charges while the 53-year-old remains imprisoned in a labor camp in the Russian republic of Mordovia.
On December 28, 2018, while staying at a hotel in the Moscow area, Whelan was arrested by the Russian Federal Security Service.
At the time, he had reportedly arrived in the Russian capital to attend a friend’s wedding and act as a travel guide for the groom’s family.
Paul Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth Whelan, holds a photo of her brother in front of the White House, alongside the father of another former US Marine, Joey Reed, on May 4, 2022, in Washington DC. Jack Gruber-USA TODAY/Sipa USA Whelan was arrested in December 2018 on charges of espionage and espionage for the United States government and sentenced to 16 years. AFP via Getty Images
However, Russian officials claimed that Whelan had met with an unnamed Russian national who gave the former Marine a USB drive containing classified material.
He was left out of the much-publicized prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia last year in which WNBA player Brittney Griner was freed from Russian custody by the release of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death.” ”.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn