Plea to West over former US Marine in spy probe

THE brother of a former US Marine held in Russia on suspicion of spying has urged Western governments to act, fearing the legal system could take years to deal with his case.

Paul Whelan, 48, was arrested in Moscow in December, and Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt warned the Kremlin not to use Britons as diplomatic pawns after it emerged last week that he has UK citizenship, through his parents.

The former serviceman is also a citizen of Ireland, Canada and the US. His twin brother, David, said consular officials from all four countries would meet on Monday to co-ordinate their oversight of Mr Whelan’s detention.

“We realise that it will take months or years for the Russian legal system to process Paul’s case, and we’re hopeful that action by Western governments will occur in the meantime,” he said.

David said the US ambassador to Russia, Jon Huntsman, who visited his brother in prison last week, had assured him he was well and that the US embassy was monitoring his health and condition.

He said the US State Department had created an account to allow family members to make money available to his brother to buy basic toiletries and other items in jail.

“Those funds have now been forwarded to a bank in Moscow and should be available to Paul next week,” he said. “The US embassy staff are hoping to meet with Paul on Wednesday.

“Paul’s family continues to rally around efforts to bring him home.”

Mr Whelan, who lives in the Michigan, is the subject of an investigation by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) over espionage charges, which carry a punishment of up to 20 years in jail, according to the Kremlinbacked Tass news agency.