The Biden’s administration’s recent controversy involving American basketball player Brittney Griner has sparked outrage among the American citizens.
The unbalanced prisoner swap of Griner for international “Merchant of Death ” notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout has also sparked mockery that even a Russian-state media ridiculed Biden and the US.
This comes after the US failed to prioritize another American, retired U.S. Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan who was taken into custody in Russia’s capital city in dealing with the prisoner exchange.
In 2018, Veteran Whelan was arrested while he was visiting Russia to attend the wedding of a Marine colleague on espionage charges which the U.S claimed were false.
According to the reports, Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison following his conviction two summers later after being accused by Russian prosecutors of working for U.S. intelligence.
Wowwww Russian media BRUTALLY mock the U.S. for trading Brittany Griner for Viktor Bout. And really, are they wrong?
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) December 9, 2022
In a report released by CBS News, it was revealed that the prosecutors “claimed before a court in Moscow that he had been caught “red-handed” receiving a flash drive that contained classified information during his trip abroad. After maintaining his innocence throughout the legal proceedings and arguing that he had been framed, Whelan and his defense team declined to appeal the conviction, saying they hoped his freedom would be secured by way of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia.”
Moreover, since his arrest, the veteran has been transferred to multiple detention centers across Russia, including a remote penal colony where he is now serving his sentence and the infamous Soviet-era Lefortovo Prison.
Since then, Whelan and his counsels have been calling for President Biden, hoping for a prisoner exchange to win his release. However, until now no such agreement has been reached but the US President has recently made efforts to exchange Griner, another American prisoner in Russia for a notorious international arm dealer.
As a result, on Thursday, Griner successfully returned home following a negotiation for a prisoner exchange for Viktor Bout.
Amid the controversy, Biden released a statement on Thursday, responding to his critics.
“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan. We will never give up.” Biden said.
Paul Whelan’s brother also issued a statement blasting the administration and describing his brother’s continued detention as “a catastrophe.”
He also urged the federal government to take more decisive steps toward securing his freedom.
“At some level, our family has steeled ourselves for this likelihood. And I think, as the use of wrongful detentions and hostage diplomacy continues around the globe, it’s clear the U.S. government needs to be more assertive. If bad actors like Russia are going to grab innocent Americans, the U.S. needs a swifter, more direct response, and to be prepared in advance.” David wrote.
He also noted that “our family is still devastated,” adding that “I can’t even fathom how Paul will feel when he learns,” referring to the recent prisoner exchange.
On Thursday, Paul Whelan told CNN that he was happy to hear of Griner’s release. However, he was “greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up.”
