Michigan man will reportedly remain behind bars in Russia on spying charges
DETROIT _ A Michigan man being held in Russia on spying charges will remain behind bars there until at least the end of March, according to media reports.
Paul Whelan, 49, of Novi, appeared Tuesday for a detention hearing at Moscow City Court and was ordered to remain in prison for three more months, his brother David Whelan said in an email to the Detroit News, citing Russian news and social media.
"The FSB's (Federal Security Service) wrongful imprisonment of Paul will continue until the end of March," David Whelan wrote. "By that time, he will have spent 15 months in a Russian prison without any evidence to support the charges against him."
Whelan's family has said he was in Russia for a friend's wedding when he was arrested Dec. 28, 2018, in a Moscow hotel room and charged with espionage.
His lawyers have said Whelan was framed and had no knowledge of the classified data on a flash drive he was handed as part of the alleged setup.
_The Detroit News
