Former US Marine Paul Whelan was arrested by Russian authorities on suspicion of espionage in December 2018. He spent over five years imprisoned in Russia and was finally returned to the US on Aug. 1, 2024, as part of a prisoner exchange. Whelan was born on March 5, 1970, in Ottawa, Ontario, and eventually moved to Michigan. He held Canadian, US, Irish, and British citizenship due to his parents’ background. Whelan started his career in law enforcement in the early 1990s and enrolled in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1994.
Whelan’s military career included serving in Iraq and learning Russian. However, he was convicted by a court-martial in 2008 and received a bad-conduct discharge from the Marine Corps. After his dismissal, Whelan worked in corporate security and eventually became a senior manager of global security and investigations for Kelly Services. He was arrested in Moscow by Russia’s Federal Security Bureau on Dec. 28, 2018. Whelan was charged with espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison on June 20, 2020.
During his time in prison, Whelan and his family campaigned for his release. Multiple prisoner swaps were offered, but Russia refused to trade him unless they received a prisoner of similar stature. In December 2022, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released in a trade, which was a catastrophe for Whelan. The Biden administration vowed to continue negotiations for Whelan’s release. However, in November 2023, Whelan was attacked while in the penal colony in Russia.
Whelan’s release finally came on Aug. 1, 2024, as part of a historic prisoner exchange between Russia and the West. This deal, the largest since the Cold War, also included the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. Whelan and the other prisoners were exchanged at the airport in Ankara, Turkey. They were pictured holding an American flag shortly after the swap. Whelan’s family expressed gratitude to the US government for securing his release after 2,043 days of captivity in Russia.
Paul Whelan’s early life included moving from Ottawa, Ontario to Michigan and acquiring multiple citizenships. His career in law enforcement and the military was marred by legal issues, including his dismissal from the Marine Corps on charges of attempted larceny, dereliction of duty, and making false statements. After his release in 2008, Whelan pursued a career in corporate security. In December 2018, he was arrested in Moscow by the FSB and charged with espionage, leading to his lengthy imprisonment in Russia.
Whelan’s family, along with US officials, denied the espionage charges, calling the trial a sham. Throughout his imprisonment, Whelan faced diplomatic hurdles, including failed prisoner exchanges and attacks while in prison. His release in 2024 marked the end of a harrowing chapter in his life and the culmination of efforts by his family and the US government to secure his freedom from Russia.
