Seven weeks after being handed over by the Russians on a tarmac in Ankara, Turkey, Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran, stood on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with a powerful message for other Americans who are held abroad. “We’re coming for you,” he told reporters after meeting with lawmakers. “It might take time, but we’re coming.”
During his meeting with lawmakers, Whelan discussed how the government can better support detainees after they are released. “We spoke about how the next person’s experience could be better,” he said. “What the government could do for the next person that’s held hostage and comes home – the care and support that other people might need, especially people that are in a worse situation. There are people coming back that lived in the dirt without shoes for three years, people that were locked up in hideous conditions for 20 years. They need support.”
Whelan’s release in August was the result of one of the largest prisoner swaps since the end of the Cold War. The intricate deal involved months of delicate negotiations between the U.S., Russia, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, and Norway. As part of the agreement, Russia released 16 prisoners while Western countries released eight Russians. Whelan was released alongside Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, and U.S. green card holder and Kremlin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza.
Whelan, who had been the longest-held American detainee in Russia, was arrested in December 2018 while attending a friend’s wedding in the country. He was convicted of espionage in a secret trial and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020. Despite vehement denials from Whelan, his family, and the U.S. government that he was a spy, Russia used him as a political pawn. The U.S. government classified him as wrongfully detained, prompting increased efforts to secure his release.
However, securing his freedom proved to be a challenge, as Whelan remained behind bars while Russia released other detainees in prisoner swaps with the U.S., including Marine veteran Trevor Reed and women’s basketball star Brittney Griner. Russia initially refused to include Whelan in these exchanges, leading him to advocate for his own release by reaching out to government officials and journalists to ensure he was not forgotten.
When the plane carrying Whelan, Gershkovish, and Kurmasheva landed in Maryland on August 1, Whelan was the first to disembark. He was welcomed by President Biden, who gave him his American flag pin, and Vice President Kamala Harris. Representative Haley Stevens, a Michigan Democrat, praised Whelan for his impact on the world, noting that his case brought attention to the plight of Americans wrongfully detained abroad.
Whelan’s experience serves as a cautionary tale for Americans considering travel to countries like Russia, where they may become targets for political manipulation. Adjusting to life back in the U.S. has been a challenge for Whelan, particularly adapting to new technology like the iPhone 15. “I was in a really remote part of Russia,” he said. “We really didn’t have much. The conditions were poor. The Russians said the poor conditions were part of the punishment. And coming back to see this sort of thing now is a bit of a shock, but it’s a good shock.”
Overall, Whelan’s release highlights the importance of government support for detainees and the need for continued efforts to secure the release of Americans held abroad. His resilience and determination to advocate for himself and others serve as a powerful reminder of the challenges faced by those wrongfully detained in foreign countries.
