US Demands Details on American Citizen Detained in Russia for Alleged Spying

The United States is demanding more details and an explanation about the detainment in Russia of an American citizen, who the Kremlin has accused of spying in Moscow.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters in Brazil on Jan. 2 the U.S. hopes to make contact soon with Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine. Whelan is the director of global security at BorgWarner, a Michigan-based automotive parts supplier, according to a company statement.

“We are hopeful, within the next hours, we will get consular access to see him and get a chance to learn more,” Pompeo said.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said Dec. 31 that it had opened a criminal case into Whelan about the alleged espionage, without providing any further details. Under Russian law, Whelan could face 10 to 20 years in prison if found guilty.

Pompeo confirmed the U.S. will take further action, depending on what information they receive from Russia.

“We’ve made clear to the Russians our expectation that we will learn more about the charges, come to understand what it is he’s been accused of,” Pompeo said. “And if the detention is not appropriate, we will demand his immediate return.”

The U.S. State Department didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment. A representative told Reuters that Moscow is expected to allow consular access for the department to meet with Whelan.

“Russia’s obligations under the Vienna Convention require them to provide consular access. We have requested this access and expect Russian authorities to provide it,” the representative said, without providing details of the American’s identity or the reasons behind his detention.

Family Rejects Accusations

Whelan’s twin brother said he was in Moscow attending a wedding before he was arrested. His family rejects the espionage accusations by Russian authorities.

“We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being. His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected,” Whelan’s brother, David Whelan, said in a public statement. David Whelan said his family had contacted U.S. authorities after they learned of the arrest.

“We noticed that he was not in communication on the 28th, which was very much out of character for him, even when he was traveling,” the statement said. “We learned of his arrest on Monday morning after his detention was picked up on [the] newswires.”

David said his brother had traveled to Russia on numerous occasions, either for work or personal business. Paul was with the bride and groom at the wedding he attended but failed to arrive later in the day, prompting the couple to file a missing-person report with Russian authorities.

“Knowing that he’s not dead, it weirdly really helps,” David told CNN. “When we couldn’t get a hold of him initially, we were worried. We are still worried now, but at least we know he is alive.”

Paul Whelan served multiple tours with the U.S. Marine Corps in Iraq and was born in Canada to British parents, but lives in Michigan, his brother said. The State Department confirmed that Whelan is a U.S. citizen.

“I think there’s really just one goal, which is ... to get Paul back home,” David said.

Butina Case

The arrest of Whelan comes weeks after Russian national Maria Butina pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy in U.S. federal court, for acting as an agent for the Kremlin without registering in the United States.

Daniel Hoffman, a former CIA Moscow station chief, said it was “possible, even likely” that Russian President Vladimir Putin had ordered Whelan’s arrest to set up an exchange for Butina.

Russia says Butina was forced to make a false confession about being a Russian agent.

Putin told U.S. President Donald Trump in a letter on Dec. 30 that Moscow was ready for dialogue on a “wide-ranging agenda,” the Kremlin said, following a series of attempts to schedule a second summit between the leaders.

At the end of November, Trump canceled a planned meeting with Putin on the sidelines of a G-20 summit in Argentina, citing tensions over Russian forces opening fire on Ukrainian navy boats and then seizing the vessels and their crews.

Trump’s relations with Putin have been under a microscope because of U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into suspected Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and possible collusion with the Trump campaign. Moscow has denied interfering in the election. Trump has said there was no collusion and has characterized Mueller’s probe as a witch hunt.

Russia’s relations with the United States have grown testy since Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Washington and Western allies have since imposed sanctions on Russian officials, companies, and banks.

Reuters contributed to this report.