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Russia sentences ex-US marine Paul Whelan to 16 years in jail for espionage

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Moscow, June 15

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A Russian court found ex-US marine Paul Whelan guilty of spying for the United States on Monday and sentenced him to 16 years in jail after a closed trial which US diplomats said was unfair and opaque.

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Whelan, who holds US, British, Canadian and Irish passports, has been in custody since he was detained by agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service in a Moscow hotel room on December 28 2018.

Moscow says Whelan, 50, was caught red-handed with a computer flash drive containing classified information. Whelan, who pleaded not guilty, said he was set up in a sting and had thought the drive, given to him by a Russian acquaintance, contained holiday photos.

US diplomats have described the case as a “significant obstacle” to improving already poor bilateral ties and have repeatedly said there is no evidence against him and asked Russia to release him.

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State prosecutors, who accused Whelan of being at least a ranking US military intelligence colonel, had asked the court to sentence Whelan to 18 years in a maximum security prison. — Reuters

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