US ‘spy’ Paul Whelan held in Moscow jail made redundant

An American who has been imprisoned in Russia on spying charges for nearly a year has lost his job in a restructure.

Paul Whelan appears in a Moscow court in August. Picture: AP

An American who has been imprisoned in Russia on spying charges for nearly a year has lost his job with an automotive parts supplier in a corporate restructuring.

Paul Whelan was arrested on December 28, 2018, in a Moscow hotel while visiting for a friend’s wedding. The Russian government charged him with espionage and has repeatedly extended his detention while he awaits trial on charges that carry a sentence of up to 20 years. Mr Whelan has denied the charges.

The former marine had been director of global security for BorgWarner, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, but that role was eliminated last week in a corporate restructuring announced in April, BorgWarner spokes­woman Kathy Graham said.

Mr Whelan’s twin, David, told The Detroit News that his brother’s health had been deteriorating and that his life had “unravelled” as he became “collateral damage in the Russian Federation’s geopolitical gamesmanship”.

The firing “increases the strain on our family’s ability to keep some semblance of his former life ready for when he returns home,” he said.

Paul Whelan, 49, started with BorgWarner in January 2017 and oversaw security at facilities around the world. BorgWarner notified Mr Whelan’s representatives of his termination while he remains in Russian custody, Ms Graham said.

Mr Whelan spent about a decade cultivating friends and contacts in Russia, building connections on social media with men who have ties to the military. Several of them said Mr Whelan never seemed sinister, merely someone with an interest in Russia and a desire for pen pals.

Mr Whelan holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenship.

AP