In an interview with CNN, a “greatly disappointed” U.S. Marine veteran expressed his dismay that President Joe Biden’s recently announced deal with Russian officials to affect the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner did not include him.
The prisoner exchange deal allows for the release of Russian-held Brittney Griner in exchange for a notorious Russian arms dealer, Viktor Bout, also known as the “Merchant of Death.”
The Marine, Paul Whelan, has been imprisoned in Russia for approximately four years. During Thursday’s interview, he said sadly, “I just don’t understand.”
Whelan is currently serving a 16-year sentence in a “penal colony” for a crime he asserts never happened. The Marine veteran was arrested in 2018 and accused of espionage.
Whelan told CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, who was able to arrange for the remote interview with Russian prison authorities, that although he was happy to see Griner released, he was disappointed to have been left behind.
“I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, Whelan said, “especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred. I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
During the interview, Whelan relayed to Hansler that as U.S. government officials worked to affect an exchange of prisoners, he had dared to hope that he would be included in the deal.
The Daily Wire reported that Whelan’s family graciously noted that while “it was always a great day when a wrongfully imprisoned person was released … they still hoped for the day it would happen for him.”
Whelan’s brother remarked that before the news of the prisoner exchange broke, government officials warned the family that Paul would not be a part of the swap, saying:
“Our family has been able to mentally prepare for what is now a public disappointment for us and a catastrophe for Paul. I do not know if he is aware yet, although he will surely learn from Russian media … I can’t even fathom how Paul will feel when he learns. Paul has worked so hard to survive nearly four years of this injustice.”
He added: “[Paul’s] hopes had soared with the knowledge that the U.S. government was taking concrete steps for once towards his release. He’d been worrying about where he’d live when he got back to the U.S.”
Whelan’s family made it clear they were happy Griner gained her freedom and recognized the two cases were not connected.
Vice President Kamala Harris lauded the exchange announcement, tweeting:
Shawn Farash, who identifies as a “Constitutional conservative,” is one of many criticizing the Biden administration’s prisoner exchange deal, noting he does not believe it was fair to those imprisoned in connection with their service to the country. He tweeted:
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