- Whelan’s brother described the former Marine’s “deteriorating” condition
- Whelan has been in Russian prison for five years for alleged espionage
The family of Paul Whelan, the former Marine currently in Russian prison, says he is “disintegrating.”
During a News Nation interviewWhelan’s brother, David Whelan, described the bleak condition his brother will now find himself in in captivity five years from now.
“It’s just disintegrating, and it’s going to continue to be that way,” David said.
“His cognitive mental health is deteriorating. We’re starting to get a sense of that in the phone calls. He has physical problems. He has a cracked tooth that he can’t get repaired.’
Whelan has been in Russian custody since just after Christmas in 2018, when he was in Russia to attend the wedding of a former US Marine.
He’s just disintegrating and will continue to do so,” says David Whelan of his brother Paul (pictured)
David, Paul’s twin brother, also said the current and former administrations have failed to figure out how to handle the nuances of his brother’s case.
“I think they (the US government) are making it a priority, but I think they have failed so far and will fail in the future to find a way to bring Paul home.
“They still haven’t solved the mystery of why Paul’s case is different,” he said.
He hopes the Biden administration will continue to work on the issue, and hopes his brother will “stay strong” in the meantime.
Last month, WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was held captive in Russia with Whelan for 10 months but released in a prisoner swap organized by the Biden administration, said she was surprised Whelan couldn’t come home with her.
“When they closed the door (on the plane she was taking home), I thought, ‘Are you serious? You’re not going to let this man come home now?'” she said during an interview.interview with ABC.
In July 2022, Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges after taking vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage through Sheremetyevo International Airport.
She was eventually released in a 1-for-1 trade that was specifically criticized for the inability to return Whelan.
Griner was traded for the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is also known internationally as the ‘Merchant of Death’.
Paul Whelan, a former US Marine accused of espionage and arrested in Russia, stands in a defendant’s cage during a hearing in a Moscow court on August 23, 2019
The deal drew criticism from Republicans, who were angry that the White House also failed to get Whelan. In response to attacks from the right, White House officials acknowledged that prisoner swaps are costly, adding that they felt compelled to bring Griner home while they had the chance.
In her GMA interview, Griner spoke with Robin Roberts about the awareness she’s trying to raise around other Americans imprisoned abroad, including Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, who was also arrested in 2023 on alleged spying charges.
In 2022, David Whelan said he feared his brother would never come home.
“I think we all realize that unless the US government can make concessions, Paul won’t be able to come home anytime soon,” said David Whelan. “And so I think we’re not really sure what the path forward is.”