Novi Man Returns Home, Criticizes Putin After Prisoner Swap Release

Novi Man Returns Home, Criticizes Putin After Prisoner Swap Release

Returning home after over five years of imprisonment in Russia, Novi resident Paul Whelan expressed a bitter mix of relief and frustration. Imprisoned on accusations of espionage since 2018, Whelan was released recently as part of a massive prisoner swap agreement.

Billed as the largest post-Soviet prisoner swap, this exchange involved intense negotiations and compromises. Recounting his ordeal, Whelan was clear about one thing – “I’m never going back there again.”

Weeks shy of six years since his arrest on unfounded spy charges, Whelan, who was visiting Russia for a wedding, expressed discouragement at the Russian government’s way of functioning. Speaking of the Russian President, Whelan remarked, “This is how Putin runs his government. This is how Putin runs his country.”

The charges against the Novi man were severe but without a trial or evidence, Russian authorities put him behind bars in 2018. A sentencing later in 2020 added 16 years to his prison timeline.

The recently freed Whelan arrived in San Antonio, Texas, for medical evaluations on the August 1st. “Looking forward to seeing my family down here and just recuperating from five years, seven months and five days of just absolute nonsense,” added Whelan.

Expressing a poignant gratitude, Whelan thanked his family for relentlessly pressuring the United States government to secure his release and everyone who had sent him well wishes. He also humorously shared that the first thing he wanted to do in Texas was to eat a steak!

There is no immediate information when he might return to Michigan.

An extensive web of intricate negotiations, secret talks, and even an association to a Putin adversary’s murder were all part of the backdrop to how this comprehensive US-Russia prisoner swap plan materialized.