American Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Russian Prison for Espionage

A Russian court has sentenced an American man to sixteen years in prison for espionage. Former U.S. marine, 50-year-old Paul Whelan, was convicted in a Moscow court earlier today in a matter of minutes. Whelan was arrested at a hotel in December of 2018 by Russian authorities who allege they caught him red-handed during an intelligence operation. It’s believed Whelan handed off a flash drive containing “state secrets”. His lawyer claims Whelan was “unwittingly” involved in the incident while on a personal trip to Russia to attend a wedding. He and his family claim he was arrested on false charges. Prior to the verdict, Whelan stood from behind a glass screen and held up a piece of paper that said the trial was “a sham” held behind closed doors. He also claimed he was denied proper medical treatment while in jail. Whelan, who is also a citizen of Ireland, the UK, and Canada, has called for all four of his country’s leaders to “end this”.