A former United States Marine was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of espionage by the Russian government. Paul Whelan was detained in December 2018 while he was in Russia for a wedding.
Authorities claimed he was handed a flash drive containing "state secrets" and that they caught him "red-handed." The trial was held in secret because officials claimed the evidence in the case was classified.
U.S. officials blasted the trial and claimed that Whelan was denied due process.
"Russia failed to provide Mr. Whelan with a fair hearing before an independent and impartial tribunal; and during his detention has put his life at risk by ignoring his long-standing medical condition; and unconscionably kept him isolated from family and friends," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said.
Rebecca Ross, the spokeswoman at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, tweeted that the U.S. ambassador to Russia, John J. Sullivan, is demanding Whelan's immediate release.
"Ambassador Sullivan: The United States demands that U.S. citizen #PaulWhelan be released immediately. His conviction is a mockery of justice. The world is watching. @mfa_russia"
Whelan's defense lawyer said he will appeal the conviction.
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