Convicted US Spy Whelan's Defense Hopes For Quick Exchange By Russia After Reed's Swap

Defense of US citizen Paul Whelan, convicted by Russia for espionage, hopes for his quick exchange in light of the recent swap of imprisoned American national Trevor Reed for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, Whelan's lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told Sputnik on Wednesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 27th April, 2022) Defense of US citizen Paul Whelan, convicted by Russia for espionage, hopes for his quick exchange in light of the recent swap of imprisoned American national Trevor Reed for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, Whelan's lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov told Sputnik on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Moscow announced that it had released Reed, former US Marine who was sentenced in 2020 to nine years in prison in Russia, in exchange for Yaroshenko, who was serving a 20-year term in the United States, following lengthy negotiations.

"Nothing is happening in the case, Whelan is serving his term as usual. I hope the ice will break after Reed (exchange) and some serious negotiations will be held, we still have Bout there," Zherebenkov said, referring to Viktor Bout, a Russian citizen, was was handed a 25-year sentence in the US in 2010 for conspiring to kill US citizens and aiding terrorists.

Whelan, who holds American, British, Canadian and Irish citizenship, is serving his sentence in Russia's Mordovia region after a Moscow court sentenced him to 16 years in prison in June 2020 on charges of espionage. He denies the charges but did not challenge the verdict in hope of being part of a potential prisoner exchange between the US and Russia.

The charges in Whelan's case was not disclosed, but a press release from Russian Federal Security Service said he was detained in Moscow at the end of 2018 during a spy operation. The defense says that the US citizen was a victim of provocation.