Former US Marine held in Moscow on spying charges has British, Irish, Canadian citizenship too

A former US Marine, held in Moscow on spying charges, holds citizenship in four countries — drawing widespread international pressure on Russia to ‘please explain’.

Paul Whelan posing for a picture. Picture: AFP

An American former Marine who is being held in Moscow on spying charges also holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenship, officials say — as Britain’s foreign secretary accused Russia of trying to use Paul Whelan as a pawn in its geopolitical games.

Both Ireland and the UK have asked that their diplomats be allowed to visit him. The news that Mr Whelan holds citizenship in four countries adds complexity to an already-murky case, and brings international pressure on Russia from several fronts.

Paul Whelan is being held in Russia on spying charges. Picture: AFP

Mr Whelan, the 48-year-old global security director for a US auto parts company, was arrested a week ago in Moscow. At the time, he was identified only as an American. It’s understood he was born in Canada.

Russian authorities have released no information about the charges against Mr Whelan, who could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of spying.

He was arrested “while carrying out an act of espionage”, according to Russia’s FSB domestic security service.

Russian media reported that Mr Whelan had been formally indicted for spying and the Interfax news agency said he denied the allegation.

President Vladimir Putin, centre, Sergei Naryshkin, head of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, right, and Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov, attend meeting with intelligence officers in Moscow. Picture: AFP

US ambassador Jon Huntsman visited Mr Whelan at the Lefortovo prison in Moscow earlier this week.

The United States has been cautious in its public comments on the case, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying earlier that Washington was trying to learn more about the situation.

US news reports have painted Mr Whelan as an unlikely spy with a chequered history.

Whelan was court-martialled by the Marine Corps in 2008 on charges of larceny and passing bad checks, The New York Times said, an offence that in most cases disqualifies candidates from foreign intelligence work.

WEDDING TO REMEMBER

Mr Whelan’s family says he was in Russia to attend a friend’s wedding at Moscow’s upscale Metropol Hotel.

His American friend was marrying a Russian woman, according to reports.

It’s claimed Paul Whelan had gone to Russia to attend a friend’s wedding at the Metropol Hotel in Moscow (pictured)> Picture: Supplied

The New York Times said Mr Whelan has been travelling regularly to Russia since 2006 and made friends with Russians through his social media account in VK, the local version of Facebook.

He also appears to have developed a penchant for collecting passports, with his case now implicating four Western countries.

An official told AFP he entered Russia on his US passport.

“He collected (passports) as a game,” the Washington Post quoted a person familiar with Mr Whelan’s case as saying.

“There was an ongoing competition with his sister to see who could get the most.”

One Russian news agency suggested Mr Whelan was found in possession of a memory stick, allegedly containing the names of intelligence officials.

THE SWAP DEAL

A Russian politician, meanwhile, hinted Friday that the detainee could possibly be swapped for a Russian woman who has pleaded guilty to trying to influence US politics — gun rights activist, Maria Butina.

CNN reports that Russia is considering the deal which would see Mr Whelan returned to the US.

“I do think that Putin wants there to be some sort of quid pro quo so that he has some leverage over how quickly Butina can be released and probably deported back to Russia as soon as possible,” national security analyst Steve Hall told CNN.

Maria Butina pictured holding a gun. Picture: Facebook

Prosecutors in the US said Ms Butina had tried to orchestrate a line of communication between Republican officials and the Kremlin during the 2016 presidential election campaign. She is currently in jail.

Valery Butin, the father Maria Butina, a Russian national who has pleaded guilty to acting as an illegal foreign agent in the United States. Picture: AP

BRITAIN HELPING WHELAN

Relations between Moscow and London have hit a low point in the wake of Britain’s allegations that Russian military intelligence agents were behind the nerve-agent poisoning of a Russian former double agent and his daughter in the British city of Salisbury in March.

British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said his government was helping Mr Whelan.

Paul Whelan is an American ex-Marine who Russian prosecutors have charged in Moscow with espionage. Picture: AFP

“Individuals should not be used as pawns of diplomatic leverage. We need to see what these charges are against him and understand whether there is a case or not,” he said.

“We are giving him every support we that we can, but we don’t agree with individuals being used in diplomatic chess games.

“We are extremely worried about him and his family.”

Mr Whelan’s British citizenship was reported by the US embassy to British officials on Thursday, according to Britain’s Press Association.

Whelan is also said to have British, Irish and Canadian citizenship. Picture: AFP

That was a day after US Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. met with Mr Whelan at Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. “He has British citizenship. The British side has sent a request for a consular visit. Work on it is in progress,” the Russian state news agency Tass cited Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Mr Whelan also holds Irish citizenship and said it also is requesting consular access to him in Moscow.

Asked about Mr Whelan, Canadian Global Affairs spokesman Richard Walker said “consular officials are aware that a Canadian citizen had been arrested in Russia.”

The UK has accused Russia of playing diplomatic chess games. Picture: AFP

Mr Whelan’s twin brother David said in a statement for the family that they were “very pleased to know that staff of the US Embassy in Moscow have been given consular access to Paul and confirmed that he is safe.”

He said the family’s “focus remains on ensuring that Paul is safe, well treated, has a good lawyer, and is coming home.”

He urged both the US Congress and the State Department to help get his brother freed and denied he was a spy, calling the possibility “inconceivable”.