?He?s Woken Up Every 2 Hours Every Night?: Unlike Brittney Griner, Ex-Marine Is Being Dished Harsh Treatment in Russian Prison

WNBA star Brittney Griner is back home and her supporters are ecstatic about it. However, amidst the ongoing celebration, Paul Whelan’s family is still waiting for the ex-marine’s release from his exile in Russia. A spark of hope ignited in the Whelan family upon hearing that the US officials were trying to negotiate for the ex-marine as well while brokering a deal to facilitate Griner’s release. However, the hope died when they realized that Paul wasn’t on the plane back home with Griner. Paul’s brother, David Whelan recently gave his side of the story in an exclusive interview, revealing the harsh treatment that his brother is receiving in his Mordovian penal colony.

Paul Whelan was arrested for espionage in Moscow in December 2018. In June 2020, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison and has been in a penal colony since then.

Paul Whelan’s conditions worries his brother following the release of Brittney Griner

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, David Whelan opened up about his family’s struggles to bring Paul home. Recounting the dreadful memory, David shared that Paul had gone to Russia to help out a former marine who was about to get married to a Russian woman. Despite having second thoughts about going to Russia, he went anyway to help out his friend.

“He hadn’t wanted to go back to Russia, he’d already been to Russia that year just to see a friend. But he went to help his friend,” David told PEOPLE.

When Paul was at a hotel in Moscow, he was reportedly given a USB drive by a Russian friend. Soon after he was apprehended by the Russian authorities for ‘spying’. David further stated that Paul’s case was tried furtively and the evidence was kept under the wraps. While the ex-marine calls his parents everyday at about 1pm, their conversation centers mostly around ways to send him food or medicine to stay alive.

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“He’s woken up every two hours every night because they consider him a flight risk,” David further pointed out. The ex-Marine is certainly not receiving the celebrity treatment that Griner reportedly received in her penal colony due to her popularity.

Paul’s three siblings are all working tirelessly to bring their brother back home. That includes meeting with officials from the State Department and even conversing with President Joe Biden.

David longs to welcome his twin brother back home

Paul Whelan’s case was brought up repeatedly when negotiations for Brittney Griner was being proposed. Therefore, the Whelan family had hoped that Paul would be on the same plane as Griner, the same hope that they had when former inmate Trevor Reed was released. However, their hope diminished and all that was left was dread and disappointment when they found out that Paul was still in the prison camp.

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“We saw Trevor Reed come home, and Paul didn’t come home. We saw Brittney Griner come home, and Paul didn’t come home,” said David.

As of now, David Whelan is only hoping that his parents will still be around to welcome Paul home when he is released.