A Russian court found ex-U.S. marine Paul Whelan guilty of spying for the United States on Monday and sentenced him to 16 years in jail after a closed trial which U.S. diplomats said was unfair and opaque, Reuters writes.
Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, has been in custody since he was detained by agents from Russia’s Federal Security Service in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28, 2018.
Moscow says Whelan, 50, was caught red-handed with a computer flash drive containing classified information. Whelan, who pleaded not guilty, said he was set up in a sting and had thought the drive, given to him by a Russian acquaintance, contained holiday photos.
U.S. diplomats have described the case as a “significant obstacle” to improving already poor bilateral ties and have repeatedly said there is no evidence against him and asked Russia to release him.
State prosecutors, who accused Whelan of being at least a ranking U.S. military intelligence colonel, had asked the court to sentence Whelan to 18 years in a maximum security prison.
Whelan’s defense said they would appeal the decision within 10 days, according to Russian news agency, Interfax.
“Today, #PaulWhelan was convicted and sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia,” Rebecca Ross, spokesperson at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, tweeted attributing the remarks to U.S. Ambassador to Russia, John J. Sullivan. “This secret trial in which no evidence was produced is an egregious violation of human rights and international legal norms.”
Ross subsequently tweeted that the ambassador has demanded Whelan is released immediately and considers his conviction a mockery of justice, NBC News added.
“There was no evidence recited by the judge that justified the detention that he’s already been subjected to, which is a year-and-a-half,” Sullivan told journalists outside the court, according to The Associated Press. “I am disappointed, crestfallen, outraged at what I’ve just heard.”
Spying charges carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years in Russia.
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