President Joe Biden and his national security adviser met Wednesday with the sister of Paul Whelan, a businessman and former Marine who the U.S. government says has been wrongfully held in a Russian prison, the White House said.
Whelan was arrested in Russia in December 2018 and was later convicted of espionage, allegations he and the U.S. deny.
On Wednesday, Biden and national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth Whelan, “to discuss the Administration’s continued efforts to secure Paul’s release from Russia,” the White House said in a statement.
Biden also called Whelan’s parents, according to the White House.
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“Since the beginning of the Administration, the President has been personally engaged in the effort to secure the release of Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained around the world, including Paul Whelan and fellow American Evan Gershkovich,” the White House said.
Whelan was working as the head of global security for an auto parts supplier in Michigan when he was arrested. Russia sentenced him in 2020 to 16 years in prison.
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