United Nations, Apr 24 (EFE).- The United States took advantage of the visit to the United Nations of the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, on Monday to press for the release of two of its nationals detained by the Moscow authorities, the journalist Evan Gershkovich and ex-military man Paul Whelan.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, accused Russia of having arrested the two to use them as “political pawns” and demanded that they be released immediately.
“Right now, Paul Whelan is in a Russian penal colony simply because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. And right now, Evan Gershkovich is being wrongfully detained by the Russian government simply for doing his job as a respected journalist,” Thomas-Greenfield noted.
The diplomat spoke to the media accompanied by a sister of Whelan, a former marine who was arrested in December 2018 by agents of the Federal Security Service (FSB, former KGB) in a Moscow hotel for alleged “espionage activities” in favor of USA.
Whelan, who has always denied the accusations, was sentenced in June 2020 to 16 years in prison.
His sister, Elizabethe Whelan, attended Monday’s meeting at the UN Security Council and told reporters that “Paul did not commit a crime, rather a crime is being committed against him.”
“Paul was the first in what has been a growing series of wrongful arrests by Russia. First my brother Paul Whelan, then Trevor Reed, both tourists. Sports star Brittney Griner and now journalist Evan Gershkovich.
The correspondent for The Wall Street Journal was arrested this month and charged with espionage, with charges that could carry up to 20 years in jail.
Both the White House and The Wall Street Journal have denied the accusations made by the Russian security forces against the journalist and have demanded his immediate release, calls that have been joined by numerous countries and organizations.
