Paul Whelan's brother says goal is "to get Paul home before my parents die"
(CBS DETROIT) - It's been nearly four years since Paul Whelan of Novi has seen his family.
"It's the fourth Thanksgiving, it's the fourth birthday, it's the fourth Christmas," David Whelan, Paul Whelan's brother says.
Yet, the road to get the former Marine back home from a Russian prison is still unclear.
"Paul is a former Marine and was helping a another former Marine who was getting married to a Russian woman. The wedding was going to be held in Moscow. Paul went over to help out with the wedding party and he had friends, Russian friends at the time, and one of them entrapped him. And so right before the wedding occurred, he was arrested," David Whelan explained.
Paul Whelan was arrested, convicted and sentenced in June 2020 to 16 years for espionage charges - charges his brother is calling a joke.
"It's just the most outrageous, the most extreme, the most laughable charge that they could have brought against Paul."
David Whelan told Detroit News on Thursday that recent information from a labor camp staff member where Paul Whelan was imprisoned suggested Paul was moved to a hospital prison.
However, in an email to his supporters on Friday, David Whelan states, "Paul called our parents today at around 5:30 a.m. Eastern."
It is the first time David Whelan says anyone has heard from Paul since Nov. 23. Nonetheless, there is no word yet on why Paul Whelan was moved in the first place.
"So the call at least acts as a 'proof of life,' even if nothing else has been explained," David Whelan wrote.
Like Whelan, WNBA star Brittney Griner who was convicted of drug charges, can do nothing now but hope for the U.S. and Russian to come to some sort of an agreement worthy of a release.
"The potential for Paul's release, for Brittney Griner's release, whether they are going to act or whether they're going to respond, whether they're using this as a negotiation tactic, essentially, you know, twisting Paul's arm, punishing him for for no apparent purpose other than to get the U.S. attention and to encourage them to be more aggressive in their negotiation," David Whelan says.
However, despite a lengthy sentence, David Whelan says he is confident he'll see the day his brother is finally brought home, but he isn't sure his parents will.
"I think at some point he will (come home), for sure. It might be after 16 years, and I think my biggest concern is my parents won't be here to see him again. And that's that's really the hardest that's what gets me up every morning to do these sorts of interviews, to try to work on Paul's cases, to get Paul home before my parents die. And that's a hard that's a hard goal to have," David Whelan says.