MI Native Paul Whelan Released As Part Of Massive Prisoner Swap With Russia: Reports

MICHIGAN — Michigan resident Paul Whelan and another American citizen are part of a major prisoner swap with Russia, according to multiple outlets, including CNN and the BBC.

Whelan, a corporate security executive, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich were imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges, which they and the U.S. deny. Whelan had been in Russia attending a wedding when he was arrested, the Associated Press reported.

On Thursday, President Joe Biden clasped hands with Whelan's sister, Elizabeth, and delivered remarks on the trade, saying, "There’s nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad."

Whelan, 54, was arrested in a Moscow hotel room on Dec. 28, 2018 on charges he and the U.S. said were "trumped up." He was convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years of hard labor.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in March 2023 and accused of spying for the CIA while he was on a reporting assignment in Yekaterinburg, Russia. He was convicted last month and sentenced to 16 years in a Russian prison.

Four other European countries were involved in the 24 person-prisoner swap, which will also eight Russian nationals, many of whom are believed to have ties to Russian intelligence, back to Russia, according to news reports.

The last prisoner exchange between the U.S. and Russia took place in December 2022 when the deal brought back WNBA star Brittney Griner back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout.

In 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken marked the fourth anniversary of Whalen's detention by saying securing his released remained a top administration priority, saying Whelan and his family are "suffering through an unfathomable ordeal."