Paul Whelan’s Household Continues Combating to Carry Him Dwelling

Followers and supporters all over the world celebrated when WNBA star Brittney Griner was lately launched from a Russian jail, however David Whelan admits he felt hopeless when his brother, Paul, was not on the aircraft residence along with her. For the previous 4 years, his twin brother has been held in a Russian work camp, and the household hoped he would return with Griner.

“We noticed Trevor Reed come residence, and Paul did not come residence. We noticed Brittney Griner come residence, and Paul did not come residence. You begin to surprise, ‘What number of extra pictures is the U.S. authorities going to have the ability to take, and when will the Russian authorities, if ever, determine that they’ve been given what they need to be able to launch Paul?'” David Whelan tells PEOPLE. “It is laborious to maintain up your optimism, your hope for 12 months after 12 months, after 12 months.”

David, a 52-year-old regulation librarian in San Diego, reads Russian information daily, looking for one thing to assist his brother’s case.

“I stand up daily to try to convey Paul residence,” he says. “There’s by no means actually a time of the day that I am not serious about Paul’s case.”

The final time David spoke to his twin was in October 2018. One other former Marine had requested Paul to come back assist at his marriage ceremony to a Russian lady. Paul was hesitant to go, David remembers, worrying about leaving their aged dad and mom in Michigan — their mom had lately slipped on ice.

“He was involved about them, he wasn’t in any respect involved about himself,” says David. “In hindsight, we notice now that he was actually the one who was going to be at risk, not them.”

A former U.S. Marine, Paul had traveled to Russia a variety of instances. “He hadn’t needed to return to Russia, he’d already been to Russia that 12 months simply to see a good friend,” David remembers. “However he went to assist his good friend.”

“He is a great individual. He is a great good friend to lots of people,” David provides.

Paul was handed a USB drive by a Russian good friend at a Moscow Resort on Dec. 28, 2018. And earlier than he even checked out it, he’d been arrested and charged with espionage, his brother says.

“The case was tried in secret, so the proof was by no means really proven to anyone,” his brother says. Paul is now in a Russian labor colony.

Paul calls his dad and mom — now ages 85 and 83 — daily round 1 p.m. If he does not name, they fear extra.

“When these calls come, it isn’t like you possibly can simply speak about, ‘How’s your day at work? What are you having for dinner?’ That kind of stuff. You are speaking about, ‘How will we get you meals? What kind of drugs do you want proper now?’ It is at all times in regards to the enterprise of staying alive,” David says.

His brother is “present process every day peril, every day torment,” David says. “He is woken up each two hours each night time as a result of they contemplate him a flight threat.”

David says his brother is fortunate, in a approach, as a result of he has three siblings at residence serving to him and preventing for his launch. Their different brother handles Paul’s funds, David scours Russian information and does media interviews (he wrote a guidebook for other families), and their sister makes common journeys to Washington, D.C., assembly with legislators to assist convey their brother residence.

“That led to, I believe, three Senate and Home resolutions for his launch. She clearly has then began lobbying into the State Division and different companies to try to get his launch. And she or he’s been lucky sufficient to talk twice now with President Biden,” David says.

“It has been a whole lot of speaking to individuals who will help Paul to get free, as a result of it is actually a authorities subject, it isn’t terrorists — though the Russian authorities typically acts prefer it,” he continues. “However the one individuals who can launch Paul are the Russian authorities, and the one individuals who can persuade the Russian authorities to do it are the U.S. authorities. So we have spent a whole lot of time attempting to get their consideration.”

The Whelans should not the one household lobbying lawmakers, and pleading for assist, in bringing their family members residence.

“It is laborious,” David says. “There are dozens and dozens of American households who’ve a wrongfully detained cherished one, like Paul.”

For instance, Trevor Reed’s dad and mom and sister fought tirelessly to convey Reed residence — assembly with legislators and spending their retirement financial savings on Russian attorneys.

Reed, 31, can also be a former U.S. Marine who served as a presidential guard. He bought drunk at a celebration, and bought sick on the experience residence. When the ladies driving him residence could not bodily get him again within the car, they requested police for assist, Jonathan Franks, a spokesperson for the Reed household tells PEOPLE.

As a substitute, Reed was arrested and charged with endangering the life and well being of Russian law enforcement officials. In July 2020, Reed was sentenced to 9 years in jail.

Reed was taken captive on Aug. 15, 2019, and held for 985 days. He returned residence to the U.S. on April 27 of this 12 months.

“His first phrases on the aircraft have been, ‘The place’s Paul?'” says Franks, a disaster administration marketing consultant and spokesman and strategist for the Bring Our Families Home Campaign. As a substitute of specializing in himself, and therapeutic, Reed dove into attempting to convey others — like Paul Whelan — residence.

“I’ve by no means been informed by a consumer earlier than, ‘The aim is just not for me to get higher. The aim is for me to make a distinction for all these different hostages, as a result of I got here residence first.’ He has simply been completely pushed. I hear from him daily about what we will do to convey extra folks residence,” says Franks.

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“We’ve to return and get Paul Whelan, no matter it takes,” Franks provides. “We have got to get him again.”

David says he is holding out hope that his dad and mom are nonetheless alive when his brother is launched. “I simply hope to say, ‘Welcome residence.'”