MOSCOW. Sept 8 (Interfax) - David Whelan, the brother of U.S. citizen Paul Whelan, who was convicted in Russia of espionage, does not know what will happen to Paul if he is transferred to the United States to continue serving his sentence there.
"There is a dearth of expertise on what, exactly, might happen to Paul if a Mordovian court approves a transfer and the U.S. accepts the transfer. For example, this state document [International Prisoner Transfer Program 7 FAM 486.2 Determining Release, Parole] suggests Paul would be immediately eligible for parole. But we have not been able to get a clear answer from anyone in the U.S. government about what the possible outcomes are," David Whelan told reporters.
It would be good if someone in the U.S. State Department or the Justice Department became familiar with Paul's case and the potential outcomes of a transfer before it happens, he said.
In the meantime, the family continues to remain focused on the health of Paul, who has an elbow injury "from his labor camp work", David Whelan said.
"Paul was given some sort of medication but is unclear what it is, since he still doesn't speak Russian or read medical labels," he said.
Paul is currently allowed to make a phone call only after submitting a written request, he said.
"It seems as though he's limited to one call a day, so that, for example, he cannot speak to our parents if he speaks to his lawyers or the U.S. Embassy," the brother said.
Earlier, Whelan's defense team filed a motion with the Moscow City Court requesting his transfer from Russia to the U.S. to serve his remaining prison time there. The Moscow City Court, in turn, has forwarded these materials to Mordovia's Supreme Court, which is yet to set a date for its hearing.
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. Whelan pleaded not guilty, but decided not to appeal his sentence, hoping that he would be exchanged.
Whelan is serving his sentence in a penal colony in Russia's internal republic of Mordovia.