WASHINGTON — Russia Turned over to Paul Whelan On a tarmac in Ankara, Turkey, the Marine Corps veteran stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with a message for other Americans held overseas.
“We’re coming to get you,” he told reporters after meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night. “It might take time, but we’re coming.”
Whelan said he has spoken with lawmakers about ways the government can better support detainees after their release.
“We talked about how we can make the next hostage coming back a better experience,” he said. “What can the government do for the next hostage coming back? The care and support that other people may need, especially those who have it worse. We have people coming back who have been living naked on the ground for three years, people who have been held captive in horrible conditions for 20 years. They need support.”
CBS News
The United States secured Whelan’s release in August in the largest prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War, a complex agreement that followed months of delicate negotiations between the United States, Russia, Germany, Slovenia, Poland and Norway.
As part of the agreement, Russia released 16 prisoners and Western countries released eight Russians. Whelan was released along with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Russian-American radio journalist Arus Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a U.S. green card holder and Kremlin critic.
Whelan, the longest-serving American held in Russia, was arrested in December 2018 while in Russia to attend a friend’s wedding. He was convicted of espionage in a secret trial and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.
Whelan, his family and the US government have strongly denied that he is a spy and have accused Russia of using him as a political pawn. Unjustly detainedThis was a rare designation that will see more government resources dedicated to securing his release.
However, no agreement was reached for a long time to ensure his freedom, and even though Russia released the Marine Corps veteran, he remained in prison. Trevor Reid Women’s Basketball Stars Brittney Griner Following Whelan’s arrest, both men were detained in a prisoner exchange with the United States.
The United States said it had asked to include him in both exchanges but Russia refused, leading Whelan to advocate for his release from the remote detention center and call on government officials and journalists to ensure he is not forgotten.
When the plane carrying Whelan, Gershkovish and Kurmasheva landed in Maryland on August 1, Whelan was the first to disembark. He Greeted President Biden presented Whelan with an American flag pin, and Vice President Kamala Harris also accompanied him.
“Whether we like it or not, he changed the world,” Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Michigan, told reporters on Tuesday.
Whelan’s case, and his family’s continued pressure on the U.S. government, has brought further attention to cases of Americans wrongfully detained by foreign governments.
Haley said Whelan’s case should serve as a warning to other Americans considering traveling to Russia that “there’s a target on your back”.
Whelan said he had a hard time adjusting to life in the US, especially learning about new technology like the iPhone 15.
“I was in a really remote part of Russia,” he said. “We really had nothing. The conditions were bad. The Russians said the bad conditions were part of the punishment. And now to come back and see this is a bit of a shock, but a good shock.”