WarpedCore t1_j0i3ij0 wrote on December 16, 2022 at 8:22 PM

Paul Whelan

Whelan, a corporate security executive, traveled to Moscow in December 2018 for a wedding and was detained by Russian authorities on espionage charges. In 2020, the former Marine received a 16-year prison sentence in what the U.S. has called a sham trial.
Whelan, 52, was ordered to serve time at a prison labor camp in the province of Mordovia.
Last month, Whelan was moved to a prison hospital for undisclosed reasons.

Marc Fogel

Fogel, a history teacher from Pittsburgh who taught the children of U.S. diplomats abroad, was detained in Moscow in August 2021. He had with him a small amount of medical marijuana he used for chronic back pain. In June, Fogel, 61, was sentenced to 14 years at a labor camp.

The federal government has not designated Fogel as wrongfully detained.

steinmas t1_j0idgso wrote on December 16, 2022 at 9:30 PM

Didn’t the state department confirm that Russia said Fogel and Whelan were not on the table for a trade right now? It was either Griner or nobody?

DefendTheLand t1_j0j7sah wrote on December 17, 2022 at 1:21 AM

Not sure why your comment is being downvoted. It’s true.

steinmas t1_j0j9at2 wrote on December 17, 2022 at 1:34 AM

Everything is politicized now, facts don’t mean squat. Whelan’s own family said it’s unpatriotic to be upset Griner came home.

WarpedCore t1_j0igy9s wrote on December 16, 2022 at 9:55 PM

Yes, but what the hell? Why? The world may never know.

steinmas t1_j0ihweh wrote on December 16, 2022 at 10:02 PM

Perhaps Russia wants a lot more for Fogel and Whelan? Whelan was convicted of espionage, a much more serious crime. Russia is trying to get the US to have Germany release a convicted assassin for Whelan, which is a much more difficult task than trading for someone in US custody.

WarpedCore t1_j0ik66x wrote on December 16, 2022 at 10:18 PM

The Federal Government gave Viktor "The Merchant of Death" Bout. He's a freaking arms dealer. Some have considered him the Highest profile Russian in US custody. Not any more. Bye Bye.

An arms dealer, convicted of conspiring to kill American citizens for a WNBA player who did not obey the Marijuana Laws of a foreign country that she has frequented in for a number of years playing off season basketball.

I think the law is stupid, but it is Russian law at a time where shit is all messed up in Russia. She has played in Russia for years, and HAD to have known the laws by now. She thought she was bigger than the stupid THC law and she got caught.