US Embassy sends note to Russian Foreign Ministry over Whelan's detention treatment
  • WORLD

  • 18:39 26 June 2019

US Embassy sends note to Russian Foreign Ministry over Whelan's detention treatment

The US Embassy in Russia said in a statement that it had filed a note of protest to the Russian Foreign Ministry over conditions that espionage-charged US citizen Paul Whelan faced in a pre-trial detention facility in Russia, ONA reports citing Sputnik.

"The US Embassy has filed a note of protest to the Russian Foreign Ministry over improper treatment that Paul Whelan faces in the pre-trial detention facility. We have asked [the Russian Foreign Ministry] to look into the situation and ensure safety and protection for Whelan. Well-being of US citizens abroad is our main priority", the US Embassy in Russia wrote on Twitter.

The statement followed Whelan's complaint about bad treatment that he allegedly received in the detention facility in late May. However, a check by the Russian Public Monitoring Commission has revealed no violations.

A court in Moscow upheld on 20 June an earlier verdict to prolong Whelan's arrest until 29 August.

Whelan, who holds US, UK, Canadian and Irish citizenship, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 on charges of espionage. He denies the accusations and insists that he came to Russia to attend a friend’s wedding. According to the information provided at the court, Whelan has been regularly visiting Russia since 2007. He works as a senior manager at the automotive industry company BorgWarner. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

ONA

Tags: US Russia world

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