Russian court finds ex-US marine Paul Whelan guilty of espionage, sentences him to 16 years in prison
Eighteen months after he was arrested in a Moscow hotel room and accusing of spying, a Russian court has handed down a 16 year jail term to Paul Whelan, a national of four western countries: Canada, Ireland, the US and the UK.
The 50-year-old defendant described the trial, partly held behind closed doors, as a "sham" and protested his innocence throughout the process. After Monday morning's verdict, he immediately stated that he intends to appeal. There have been suggestions that Whelan could be returned to the US in a prisoner swap.
His lawyer has named Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko - two Russians jailed in the US - as potential candidates. Bout, who Russia considers a 'political prisoner,' is serving a 25-year term for arms dealing. Meanwhile, Yaroshenko was arrested in Liberia in 2010 in what the Russian Foreign Ministry described as a "kidnapping" and brought to the US. He had never set foot in the country before. Russian authorities have repeatedly complained about the harsh conditions and lack of medical care he has received in US prison.
In December 2018, former US marine Whelan was detained in the Russian capital's five-star Metropol Hotel after he accepted a USB device from an undercover FSB officer. Prosecutors alleged the flash drive included information related to active-duty members of Russia's secret service. Whelan's defense said he was the victim of a sting.
https://www.rt.com/russia/491836-russian-court-whelan-espionage-prison/