Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Hunt warns Putin: Don’t play games with spy claim man
Retired Marine is detained by Russians
FOREIGN Secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned Russia not to use people as pawns in “diplomatic chess games” after a former US Marine was arrested on spying charges.
He said Paul Whelan, 48, from Michigan, US, was being given “every support” after it emerged he has dual British nationality as well as possibly being an Irish and Canadian passport holder.
In Singapore, Mr Hunt said: “Individuals should not used as pawns of diplomatic leverage.” He added: “We are giving him every support that we can, but we don’t agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games.
“Because it is desperately worrying, not just for the individual but their families and we are extremely worried about him and his family.”
Retired US Marine Mr Whelan – who has UK citizenship through his parents – was arrested in Moscow last week on espionage charges. He was there to help plan the wedding of another former Marine because he had been to Russia several times, according to his twin.
The US embassy in Moscow advised the British embassy in Moscow on Thursday that a US citizen detained by the Russian authorities on December 28 informed them that he holds British citizenship.
Mr Whelan’s lawyer Vladimir Zherebe benkov said he had appealed to the court and requested he be released on bail.
He said: “I have sent an appeal against Whelan’s detention. In my appeal I am asking to change my client’s measure of restraint from arrest to release on bail to the sum determined by the court.”
Mr Zherebenkov said Mr Whelan, who faces a jail term of up to 20 years if convicted, remained in good spirits when he spoke to him.
FOREIGN SECRETARY YESTERDAY