Paul Whelan from Novi Touches Down on American Soil After Time in Russian Prison
Just before midnight on a clear Thursday, Paul Whelan from Novi, along with two other journalists, Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, finally felt American soil beneath their feet after a long ordeal in Russian prisons for trumped up criminal charges. The three made their landing at the Joint Base Andrews, in Maryland.
First off the plane was Paul Whelan, a 54-year-old Novi resident who had spent 5 years, seven months and five days in a Russian prison. He was the first to step on American soil where he was heartily welcomed by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and then he warmly embraced his awaiting sister, Elizabeth.
Whelan was originally arrested back on December 28th, 2018, when he was in Russia attending a wedding. He was later charged with espionage and eventually sentenced to a grueling 16 years of hard labor.
Gershkovich, on the other hand, was arrested in March 2023 and also wrongly convicted of espionage last month. He faced the same sentence of 16 years. The U.S. government has been steadfast in stating that these American citizens were unjustly imprisoned on fabricated charges.
In a moment of patriotism, Biden offered his American flag lapel pin to Whelan, duly recognizing his past service as a Marine.
When a reporter mentioned about him being detained for six years, Whelan promptly clarified: “Five years, seven months, five days”, a detail he etched in his memory forever. Each day he spent in custody, he would sing the national anthem, he cited.
Interestingly, these three were among a group of 24 individuals exchanged in a seven-nation swap, bringing a sigh of relief to their worried families and friends back home.
All in all, this ordeal has come to a joyful end, signifying peace and restoration for these individuals and their families.
