SARANSK. June 8 (Interfax) - Paul Whelan, a United States citizen convicted of espionage, who is serving his sentence in Correctional Colony No. 17 in the Russian internal republic of Mordovia, has not asked for help in drawing up a pardon appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin, head of Mordovia's Public Monitoring Commission Valery Krutov told Interfax following his visit to the penitentiary.
"He did not ask for our help in drawing up a petition for pardon to the Russian president. He hopes for his exchange following the meeting between the Russian president and the U.S. president," he said.
During the 40-minute meeting, Whelan voiced no serious complaints about his incarceration conditions, he said.
The Public Monitoring Commission head found it difficult to clarify whether Whelan had been vaccinated against coronavirus, but he said, "Half of the convicts in this penal colony have been vaccinated."
"The problem with him being woken up during the night remains, but it will not go anywhere, there is no other option. The flight risk status, which implies checks in the middle of the night, is removed by a court ruling," Krutov added.
Whelan "adapted, got acquainted with everyone, a convict from the same unit helps him with interpreting," he said.
"We plan to visit the penal colony again at the end of June," Krutov said, suggesting that a decision on Whelan's exchange may be made.
As reported, members of the Public Monitoring Commission visited Whelan at the penitentiary in November 2020 after he had complained of sleep problems.
Whelan's brother David told Interfax he had twice asked the Russian president for mercy. He also noted that the meeting of the Russian and U.S. presidents scheduled for June 16 is good news. He expressed hope that the dialogue launched by U.S. President Joe Biden's administration would create the conditions for Whelan's release.
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has refrained from commenting on Whelan's requests to Putin for mercy, pointing out that the procedure of pardoning exists.
On June 15, 2020, the Moscow City Court found U.S. citizen Whelan, also a citizen of Ireland, Canada and the United Kingdom, guilty of espionage and sentenced him to 16 years in a high-security penitentiary. He is serving his sentence at Penal Colony No. 17 in Mordovia. Whelan pleaded not guilty, but decided not to appeal his sentence, hoping that he would be exchanged.