US citizen Paul Whelan attends a sentencing hearing at the Moscow City Court on charges of espionage against Russia
WASHINGTON, June 17 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States expressed outrage over a Russian court’s conviction of American Paul Whelan on espionage charges, saying he was deprived of a fair trial.
Whelan, a former Marine arrested in December 2018, was sentenced Monday to 16 years of hard labour after being found guilty of receiving classified information.
The verdict was read in a Moscow court as Whelan stood in the defendant’s cage holding a sign that read “Sham trial!”
“The United States is outraged by the decision of a Russian court to convict US citizen Paul Whelan after a secret trial, with secret evidence, and without appropriate allowances for defence witnesses,” US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement.
“We demand Paul Whelan’s immediate release,” he said.
Just days earlier, Pompeo had publicly called on Russia to release Whelan, who contends that he was on holiday in Russia when he was given a USB drive thinking it contained family photographs.
“The treatment of Paul Whelan at the hands of Russian authorities has been appalling,” Pompeo said.
Pompeo said Russian authorities “put his life at risk by ignoring his long-standing medical condition.”
Whelan’s conviction is another impediment in relations between the two powers, which are at odds over Ukraine, Syria, Libya, arms control and a host of other issues.
The case of the 50-year-old former US Marine who holds passports from the US, Canada, the United Kingdom and Ireland, has become a thorn in the side of US-Russia relations.
Days after his arrest, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement that he had been detained while on a “spy mission.” Later, officials said he was caught with a flash drive containing classified information.
Whelan pleaded not guilty and has denied the charges of espionage, maintaining that he was set up and that he was given a flash drive by an acquaintance that he thought contained family photos.
The prosecution said Whelan held the rank of “at least colonel” with the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. — NNN-AGENCIES
