WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Thursday it is “very concerned” about reports that Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine convicted of espionage in Russia, feels under physical threat.
“We’re very concerned as we hear those accounts from Paul,” John Kirby, a spokesperson for the White House, told reporters. “We will continue to work hard through our embassy in Moscow to make sure he gets consular access and that we can address these direct concerns with our Russian counterparts,” Kirby said.
Whelan, who denies spying, was arrested by the Federal Security Service (FSB) in a room in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel on Dec. 28, 2018.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese)