{"id":2077792,"date":"2023-10-24T13:41:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T17:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/paul-whelan-told-blinken-leaving-him-in-russia-basically-signed-a-death-warrant\/"},"modified":"2023-10-24T13:43:57","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T17:43:57","slug":"paul-whelan-told-blinken-leaving-him-in-russia-basically-signed-a-death-warrant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/paul-whelan-told-blinken-leaving-him-in-russia-basically-signed-a-death-warrant\/","title":{"rendered":"Whelan warns Blinken: Leaving me in Russia equals a death sentence."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpaul-whelan-told-blinken-leaving-him-in-russia-basically-signed-a-death-warrant%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2077792&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Former US Marine Paul Whelan Pleads for Help<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Paul Whelan, the former United States Marine \u200cwho the State Department has determined is being wrongfully detained in Russia, told Secretary of State \u2062Antony Blinken that being left out of prisoner swaps has signed \u2064his death warrant.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Whelan, who has been imprisoned by \u2062Russia since 2018, said his age is playing a factor in his physical health because \u2062of the manual labor\u200c that prisoners in Mordovia are required to do.<\/p>\n<h3>Desperate Plea for Freedom<\/h3>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;I told \u200b [Blinken] point-blank that leaving me here the first time \u2064painted a target on my back and \u200cleaving me here the second time basically signed a death warrant,\u201d Whelan told CNN in an article published Tuesday.\u2063 \u201cUnless they got me back, it could be quite challenging in the future, especially with my age and the sort of work we have to do from a health and safety point of view.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Whelan was not included in a prisoner exchange of two high-profile\u200d Americans held by Russia, Brittney Griner and Trevor Reed, for two \u2062Russian nationals, Konstantin Yaroshenko and \u200cViktor Bout. Russia did not allow Whelan to be traded in that exchange, according to U.S. officials.<\/p>\n<p>Despite\u2063 his fear that \u2064being left in Russia to serve out his 16-year sentence would prove fatal, Whelan said \u2063he believes the\u200d U.S. is doing\u200b everything it can to get him back home. However, Whelan\u2062 said he also wanted\u200b to make \u2063sure that he was not forgotten among the other &#8220;geopolitical issues&#8221; happening in the world. Whelan last spoke to Blinken in August.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think everyone\u2019s trying \u200bto do\u200c the right thing, and I know that this\u2063 will come to an end at \u2063some point,&#8221; Whelan said.\u200d &#8220;How long it will take, I don\u2019t know. But I\u2019m being promised that I won\u2019t be left behind here.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The State Department said it will continue to stand behind Whelan after \u2064declaring he was wrongly convicted \u200cof espionage in 2020 and is searching for a way to free him.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click here to read more from \u2064The Washington Examiner<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Secretary Blinken \u200cremains committed to bringing Paul home,\u201d a State Department spokesperson told CNN on Monday. \u201cThe United States has been clear that Russia\u2019s wrongful detention of Paul Whelan is outrageous, and he should be immediately set free. We offered Russia a serious proposal for Paul\u2019s release and will not stop working on his case \u2062until he is reunited\u200b with his family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Examiner reached out to the State Department for\u2064 comment.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What actions should the US government and international community\u200b take in order to secure \u2063Paul Whelan&#8217;s\u200d release and \u200bensure justice for him<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Nk \u2013 I&#8217;m going to die here,&#8221; Whelan said in a recent interview with\u200b ABC\u200b News. &#8220;I am innocent, and I haven&#8217;t been able to get the help that I need.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Whelan&#8217;s plea for help highlights the dire situation he finds himself in as he \u200dlanguishes in \u2063a Russian \u200bprison, unable to receive the assistance he deserves. The \u200dformer Marine, who served his country dutifully and honorably, finds himself wrongfully accused and abandoned by the very nation he swore to protect.<\/p>\n<p>In December 2018, Whelan was \u2063arrested by \u200dRussian authorities and charged with espionage. Despite\u2062 maintaining his innocence from the very beginning, he has been \u200bsubjected to a long and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/paul-whelan-told-blinken-leaving-him-in-russia-basically-signed-a-death-warrant\/\" title=\"Whelan warns Blinken: Leaving me in Russia equals a death sentence.\">arduous legal process<\/a>, with no end in sight. The State Department has \u200b<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/majority-of-americans-say-biden-is-dividing-the-country-after-biden-says-his-political-opponents-are-dividing-country\/\" title=\"Majority of Americans Say Biden Is Dividing the Country After Biden Says His Political Opponents Are Dividing Country\">categorically stated<\/a> \u200dthat\u2063 there is no evidence to support \u2062the charges against him, leaving many to\u200c believe that he is being used as a political pawn in \u2063international relations.<\/p>\n<p>Whelan&#8217;s desperation is evident as he begs for assistance from the \u2063highest levels\u2064 of the US government. His age, coupled with the physical toll of manual labor in prison,\u200b has taken a significant toll on \u200chis health. Mordovia, where Whelan is incarcerated, is known for its harsh conditions, and prisoners are often subjected \u200bto grueling work. It is a stark contrast to the life he once\u2063 knew as a Marine, where physical\u2064 fitness was valued and maintained.<\/p>\n<p>Whelan&#8217;s plea\u2064 is not just a cry for his own freedom, but also for justice and\u2063 fairness. He asserts his innocence, yet has been denied\u2062 a fair\u2062 trial and is being denied the\u200c <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sen-rand-paul-challenges-biden-transgender-sports-policy\/\" title=\"Sen. Rand Paul challenges Biden transgender sports policy\">basic human rights<\/a> that every individual is entitled to. He further emphasizes that being left out of prisoner swaps is not only a blow\u2062 to his\u2062 hope for release but \u200balso a sure sign of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-prosecutors-accuse-alleged-isis-beatle-of-brutal-hostage-taking\/\" title=\"U.S. prosecutors accuse alleged ISIS \u2018Beatle\u2019 of \u2018brutal hostage-taking\u2019\">potential death sentence<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It is imperative that the international community, and especially the US government, does \u200bnot turn a blind eye to Whelan&#8217;s case. \u2063His wrongful detention is a violation of his human rights and an \u200daffront\u2062 to justice. The US government must use its diplomatic efforts to secure Whelan&#8217;s release and ensure that he receives the fair treatment and due process \u2063he deserves.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, Whelan&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-pauses-restrictions-on-biden-admin-contacting-social-media-companies\/\" title=\"Supreme Court halts limits on Biden Admin's communication with social media firms.\">case raises important questions<\/a> about the treatment and protection of former \u2062military personnel when they find themselves in such dire circumstances abroad. As someone who dedicated his life to serving his country, Whelan deserves the unwavering \u200csupport and assistance of his government in his\u200d time of need.<\/p>\n<p>Whelan&#8217;s \u2063plea \u2064must be heard and acted upon. His \u200dlife is at stake, and his wrongful detention must not be allowed to continue. The US government, along with the international community, must hold \u200bRussia\u2064 to account and demand \u2062justice for Paul Whelan.<\/p>\n<p>As Secretary of State Antony \u2063Blinken \u2064stated, &#8220;We are going to \u2062stand up\u200d for our values \u200cand we&#8217;re going to stand up for our people.&#8221; It is time for action to \u200dbe taken and for justice to prevail.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paul Whelan, a former US Marine, informed Secretary of State Antony Blinken that his exclusion from prisoner exchanges in Russia has sealed his fate. Whelan, held captive since 2018, emphasized that his age is exacerbating the situation. The State Department has concluded that his detention is unjust.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2077793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2077792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077792","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2077792"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2077792\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2077793"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2077792"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2077792"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2077792"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}