{"id":2119387,"date":"2023-12-08T04:26:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-08T09:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-year-after-griners-release-from-russia-whelan-family-pleads-with-biden-bring-paul-home\/"},"modified":"2023-12-08T04:29:01","modified_gmt":"2023-12-08T09:29:01","slug":"a-year-after-griners-release-from-russia-whelan-family-pleads-with-biden-bring-paul-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-year-after-griners-release-from-russia-whelan-family-pleads-with-biden-bring-paul-home\/","title":{"rendered":"A year after Griner&#8217;s Russia release, Whelan family begs Biden: &#8216;Bring Paul back"},"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\">26<\/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%2Fa-year-after-griners-release-from-russia-whelan-family-pleads-with-biden-bring-paul-home%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=2119387&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 Marine Paul Whelan&#8217;s Release from Russian Detention Delayed<\/h2>\n<p>It was supposed to be a moment of celebration for\u2063 Paul Whelan&#8217;s family.\u2064 Exactly one year ago, on Dec. \u200d8, 2022, the Biden administration successfully secured the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner from a Russian prison. However, as Whelan\u2063 continues to languish\u200d in prison on disputed espionage charges, his family wonders why they are still waiting.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I thought that\u2063 after the last exchange, there was an awful lot \u200cof press \u2062from \u2064the\u200d White \u2064House, the U.S. government \u2064those\u2063 first days after \u2062Dec. 8 last\u200c year, where they were immediately getting back\u200c to work, they were really going to come up with new ideas, they were \u2062immediately going \u200dto\u2063 look for new ways to bring Paul home,&#8221; \u200bexpressed\u200d David Whelan, Paul&#8217;s brother, in an interview with the Washington Examiner. &#8220;And none of that really\u200c happened.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>While the release of Griner brought hope for Paul Whelan&#8217;s freedom, the reality has\u2063 been different. Griner was exchanged for convicted Russian arms\u200b dealer Viktor Bout, known as the &#8220;Merchant of \u2063Death.&#8221; Bout, who was arrested in \u200bThailand in 2008 and extradited \u200bto the United States, received a\u2063 25-year jail\u200d sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the administration&#8217;s \u200cassurance of continued efforts to secure Paul Whelan&#8217;s release, Russian officials consider his crimes to\u200d be more significant. Whelan \u200dwas arrested in late 2018 during a wedding trip to Russia and was\u200b sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020 on espionage charges, which he vehemently denies.<\/p>\n<p>Former President\u2064 Donald \u2063Trump revealed that he \u200bhad turned down a deal \u200dduring his presidency that would have secured Whelan&#8217;s release in exchange\u200b for Bout. In contrast, President Joe Biden agreed\u200d to the Griner swap and another earlier in the year, both\u2062 of which excluded Paul \u2062Whelan.<\/p>\n<p>David \u200bWhelan now appeals to President Biden to fulfill his promise \u200dof not abandoning Paul&#8217;s case and to bring him home as quickly as possible. These pleas come in the wake of Russia&#8217;s rejection of a recent \u200dproposal that would have secured Paul Whelan&#8217;s release, along with that of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was arrested earlier this year on espionage \u200ccharges.<\/p>\n<p>While\u2063 the details\u2062 of the rejected proposal remain undisclosed, Paul Whelan&#8217;s situation grows increasingly dire. He \u200dwas recently \u2063assaulted in prison, with his brother \u200drecounting\u2062 the incident,\u2063 &#8220;The prisoner hit Paul in the face, breaking Paul&#8217;s glasses in the\u200d process, and attempted to hit him a second\u2063 time. Paul stood up to block\u200d the second hit, and other prisoners intervened to prevent the prisoner continuing to attack Paul.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>As Paul Whelan \u2063remains behind bars, Viktor Bout has won\u2064 an election to serve in a regional legislature in Russia, and Brittney Griner has resumed her\u2063 basketball\u2062 career with the Phoenix\u200c Mercury.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/paul-whelan-family-biden-russia\">Click here<\/a> to read more from the \u200cWashington Examiner.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> Why are many questioning the effectiveness of the efforts made by the US government in negotiating for Paul Whelan&#8217;s release<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Tor Butt, in a swap that was widely publicized and \u200dcelebrated. However, the circumstances surrounding Whelan&#8217;s case have proven to be much\u2062 more complicated.<\/p>\n<p>Paul Whelan, a former United States Marine, was arrested in Moscow in December 2018 on charges of\u2064 espionage. The Russian \u200cauthorities claimed that\u2064 Whelan was caught red-handed with classified information, while Whelan himself maintains that he was set up \u2063and that he was in Russia \u2063for a wedding. His family and the US government have repeatedly called for his release, insisting that he is innocent and unjustly detained.<\/p>\n<p>In the intervening years,\u200c there have been numerous diplomatic efforts to secure Whelan&#8217;s release. The \u200ctopic has been discussed multiple \u200btimes during negotiations between Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US\u2063 President \u200dJoe Biden. However, it seems that progress \u200bhas been slow and hindered by various geopolitical \u200dfactors.<\/p>\n<p>One of the major challenges faced \u200dby Whelan&#8217;s\u200c case is the strained relationship between the US and Russia. The two countries have been at odds over a \u2062range \u200cof issues, including election interference, \u200bcyberattacks, and territorial disputes. This tense atmosphere has\u200b undoubtedly made it more\u2064 difficult for diplomatic \u200bnegotiations to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rafael-nadal-biggest-beneficiary-of-djokovic-australia-open-absence-demands-he-follow-the-rules\/\" title=\"Rafael Nadal, Biggest Beneficiary of Djokovic Australia Open Absence, Demands He 'Follow the Rules'\">yield positive results<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to delays in the \u2064legal\u2064 proceedings and diplomatic efforts. Restrictions on travel \u200band limited embassy staffing \u2063have impeded direct communication between the American and \u2062Russian authorities. This has\u200d further extended Whelan&#8217;s time in detention and added to the\u2063 frustration of his family and supporters.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these hurdles, Paul Whelan&#8217;s \u2064family remains hopeful and \u200ddetermined to\u200c bring him home.\u2063 They have \u200btirelessly advocated for his\u2064 release, engaging \u200bwith government officials, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/refugee-watchdog-calls-for-immediate-action-in-ethiopia\/\" title=\"Refugee Watchdog Calls for Immediate Action in Ethiopia\">human rights organizations<\/a>, and the media\u200c to raise awareness about his case. In their efforts, they\u200c have not \u200dbeen\u200d alone. The Whelan family has\u200d received support from across the political spectrum, with both Democrats and Republicans calling for action.<\/p>\n<p>The reiteration of support from President Biden \u2062during his campaign and in the early days\u200d of his presidency\u2063 raised\u2063 expectations. However, the lack of progress since Brittney Griner&#8217;s release has left many questioning the\u2064 effectiveness of these efforts. The Whelan family \u200band their \u200dsupporters continue to urge the US government to explore\u200c new strategies and negotiate more vigorously for Whelan&#8217;s release.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2063 case of Paul Whelan serves as a reminder of the challenges faced by individuals caught in the crosshairs of international disputes. As\u2064 geopolitical tensions persist, \u200dinnocent\u2063 people \u200dlike Whelan can become pawns in a\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ukraine-wants-to-dare-putin-to-sink-grain-ships\/\" title=\"Ukraine challenges Putin to sink grain vessels.\">high-stakes game<\/a>. It is essential that\u200c governments prioritize the protection and fair treatment of their citizens, and work diligently to resolve diplomatic issues that arise.<\/p>\n<p>As we approach the\u200b two-year mark since Paul Whelan&#8217;s arrest, his \u2064family&#8217;s anguish and frustration are palpable. They \u2062are anxiously awaiting the day when their loved one will be able \u2064to return home and rebuild his life. \u200bUntil then, they will continue \u2063to fight for justice and \u2062maintain hope that the delays and setbacks \u200bwill eventually be overcome, bringing an \u2063end to this prolonged ordeal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Marine Paul Whelan, held in Russia since 2018, should have returned home. A year ago, on Dec. 8, 2022, the Biden administration freed WNBA player Brittney Griner after less than a year in a Russian jail for drug offenses<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2119388,"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-2119387","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\/2119387","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=2119387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119387\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2119388"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2119387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2119387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}