The family of Paul Whelan, an American businessman and former Marine imprisoned in Russia on suspicion of spying, says they were told in advance that he would not be part of the prisoner swap that allowed the release of Brittney Griner.
after Russian authorities said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, was the"right decision" rather than"waiting for one that wasn't going to happen."
"It is so important to me that it is clear that we do not begrudge Ms. Griner her freedom," David Whelan said."As I have often remarked, Brittney's and Paul's cases were never really intertwined. It has always been a strong possibility that one might be freed without the other." A senior U.S. official told NBC News that the U.S. government had sought to have both Griner and Whelan released as part of a swap with the Kremlin, which wanted the return of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who has served 11 years of a 25-year sentence in the U.S. But the official said Russia has treated Whelan differently because he is an accused spy, and that the Kremlin gave the White House the choice of either Griner or Whelan — or none.
Amid questions as to why Whelan could not be released as well, President Joe Biden said at the White House on Thursday that"we have not forgotten about Paul Whelan."Erik Ortiz is a staff writer for NBC News focusing on racial injustice and social inequality.
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