The Russian side was demanded to immediately and unconditionally release the Americans Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed. State Department spokesman Ned Price made a statement on the third anniversary of Whelan’s arrest in Moscow.
“Russia must immediately and unconditionally release US citizens Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed so that they can return home to their families. Their release remains a significant priority for the United States, ”Price said.
He added that Whelan came to Russia as a tourist three years ago, “and was jailed and sentenced on false charges.”
The Russian Embassy in the United States has already answered this call. “Let us remind the State Department that unlike Russians, who are often detained and convicted in the United States under a far-fetched pretext, Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed were arrested in Russia for committing serious crimes,” the Russian embassy said on Twitter.
Paul Whelan is a former Marine of the United States, Great Britain, Ireland and Canada. He was detained in Russia on December 28, 2018 on suspicion of espionage. On June 15, 2020, the Moscow City Court sentenced Whelan to 16 years in a maximum security colony.
Another American, Trevor Reid, was sentenced to 9 years in a general regime colony and 100,000 rubles in compensation for two Russian police officers. He was detained in August 2019 on the Leningradskoe highway, when he had a row with his companions. He resisted, including, according to the investigation, attacked the driver of a patrol car. The court found him guilty of using violence against government officials.
Source: Rosbalt
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
