Elizabeth Whelan stated prior to a UN Security Council meeting where Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will be present, “I am here to tell Russia to release Paul Whelan.”
“Paul has not committed a crime, but a crime has been committed against him,” Whelan said at a UN stakeout alongside the American, Irish, and Canadian ambassadors.
“I no longer recall the appearance of my brother. The images we see on television and in the news represent Paul Whelan prior to his capture. Since his trial nearly three years ago, no one has been permitted to photograph him, according to Whelan.
“Paul was the director of corporate security. He had a job he enjoyed and an existence filled with hope and possibility. Russia, a nation that revels in its culture of falsehoods and tradition of hostage diplomacy, has stripped him of everything, she said.
“I am here today to tell the global community that one way to engage in effective multilateralism is to confront those countries that resort to hostage diplomacy,” Whelan continued.
She cited the case of Evan Gershkovich, an American journalist wrongfully detained by Russia on espionage charges – the same offence for which her brother was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
“This Russian playbook is so sloppy that even Evan has the same investigator who harassed and interrogated my brother until the sham trial of Paul in June of 2020,” Whelan said.
Prior to the meeting, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that it was “impossible to ignore the giant elephant in the room: Russia.”
“Russia, the host of today’s meeting, invaded its neighbours in Ukraine and attacked the core of the United Nations Charter. And Russia has repeatedly violated universal human rights and fundamental freedoms both inside and outside its borders, including the arbitrary detention of political activists, journalists, and opposition leaders, as well as American citizens,” she said.
Whelan told CNN that being in the same room as her brother’s captors was “quite an experience.” She reported that Lavrov did glance at her during the meeting when Thomas-Greenfield acknowledged her.
Whelan stated that she hopes her brother saw some of the media coverage “so he knows we’re still fighting for him and will not give up.”
