Household involved about whereabouts of Whelan, American jailed in Russia By Reuters

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was detained and accused of espionage, holds an indication as he stands inside a defendants’ cage throughout his verdict listening to in Moscow, Russia June 15, 2020. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

By Andrea Shalal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The brother of Paul Whelan, an American jailed in Russia, stated on Tuesday his household is anxious about his whereabouts after not listening to from him for days and unclear messages from the jail workers that he was moved to the jail hospital.

David Whelan, the brother of Paul, stated that the household doesn’t positively know the place Paul is. Paul, a former U.S. Marine is serving 16 years within the Russian area of Mordovia on prices of espionage – which he denies.

The penal colony’s workers stated that Paul was moved to the jail hospital on Nov. 17, a day after the go to of American and Irish diplomats, however Paul final talked to his dad and mom on Nov. 23 and didn’t point out the transfer, David Whelan stated.

The household has not heard from him since. David Whelan added that when transferred to the jail’s hospital up to now, Paul had at all times talked about the transfer in his cellphone calls.

“Paul was not complaining of any well being circumstances that required hospitalization, so has there been an emergency?” David Whelan stated in an emailed assertion, including that Paul appeared wholesome and properly to the diplomats.

“Is he unable to make calls?  Or is he actually nonetheless at (the penal colony) however he is been put in solitary and the jail is hiding that reality?”

David Whelan stated that the household has not been involved with the White Home, simply with the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and the State Division.

“The U.S. function in Moscow is to maintain Paul’s wellbeing and it is laborious for them to perform that if they do not know the place Paul is or what his situation is,” he stated. “So we normally work by them when there’s uncertainty like this.”

The White Home and the State Division had no rapid remark.

On Monday, David Whelan stated Paul informed his household to contact the U.S. Embassy in Moscow if he didn’t name house for greater than three days. After they did so, the consular workers stated it had not heard from him both. [

The United States is talking to Russia about a deal to free Whelan and the jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner but Russia has not provided a “serious response” to any of its proposals, a senior U.S. diplomat said on Monday.

Griner was taken this month to a Russian penal colony to serve a nine-year drug sentence after being arrested in February with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She said at her trial she used them to relieve the pain from sports injuries and had not meant to break the law.