The family of Paul Whelan, an American detained in Russia for nearly four years and counting, says the Biden administration “made the right decision” in agreeing to a prisoner exchange that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner.
But Whelan's relatives say they're “devastated” that Whelan remains behind in Russia.
Whelan is a Michigan corporate security executive who's been jailed since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.
President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. will keep negotiating for Whelan's release.
When Biden announced the Griner deal, he also said, “We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan.”
