Paul Whelan’s Unexpected Arrest in Moscow
On a fateful day in December 2018, Paul Whelan found himself at the iconic Metropole Hotel in Moscow, preparing to attend the wedding of a fellow U.S. Marine. As he adjusted his tie and gathered his belongings, a longtime Russian acquaintance, a junior officer in the frontier guards, made an unannounced visit. This friend handed Whelan a thumb drive, claiming it contained cherished souvenir photos and videos from a previous trip they had taken together across Russia.
Curious and trusting, Whelan accepted the drive and tucked it into his pocket. However, his moment of anticipation quickly turned into a nightmare when several men, dressed in civilian clothing and some with their faces concealed by balaclavas, abruptly burst into his hotel room. One of the men, identifying himself as an agent of the Federal Security Service (FSB), declared in English, āWe are with the Federal Security Service, and you are under arrest for espionage.ā
In disbelief, Whelan replied, āI have not committed espionage.ā Initially, he thought the entire incident might be a cruel prank. However, as the reality of the situation set in, he realized that it was anything but a joke.
Within just a few hours, Whelan found himself confined in a grim 9-foot-square cell within Moscowās notorious Lefortovo Prison, a facility known for its harsh conditions and its history of housing Soviet-era political prisoners who were subjected to torture. This marked the beginning of a harrowing journey through Russiaās unforgiving and often surreal state-controlled criminal justice system. Whelan’s ordeal would stretch on for an agonizing five years, seven months, and five days.
During his time at Lefortovo, Whelan faced numerous challenges, including a life-threatening emergency hernia surgery conducted in the middle of the night in a hospital where half of the overhead lights were inoperative. He recounted a harrowing experience where, instead of adhering to medical protocols, the surgical team dropped instruments on the floor only to pick them up and continue without cleaning them.
Following his conviction, Whelan was transferred to a labor camp where he endured a meager diet consisting primarily of bread, tea, and an unappetizing, watery fish soup that he jokingly remarked was more suitable for cats. His days were filled with hard labor, sewing buttons and buttonholes on winter uniforms for government employees, as he braved cold showers once a week and the relentless passage of time in a grim environment.