American Paul Whelan, convicted of espionage in Russia, has been released from a punishment cell in a Mordovian colony. This is reported by the defense of the American with reference to the brother of the convict.
“David wrote that Paul was released from the punishment cell on Friday. He already called his parents on Saturday, “Olga Karlova, Paul Whelan’s lawyer, told Interfax. According to her, Whelan expressed a desire to talk with lawyers, but he has not yet been given such an opportunity. Another defender of the American, Vladimir Zherebenkov, previously reported that he had no information for what offense Whelan was placed in a punishment cell.
A punishment cell is a special department in a colony where cells for violators of the regime are located.
FSB officers detained a citizen of the United States, Great Britain, Canada Paul Whelan on December 28, 2018 in a room at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. A criminal case was opened against him under Article 276 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (espionage).
The Moscow City Court found him guilty and sentenced him to 16 years in a strict regime colony. The convicted person himself rejected the accusations against him and called the case fabricated, and the court – political and fictitious.
Read about the development of the case in the publication of “Kommersant” “Paul Whelan counts the days until the summit.”
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