- Title: Paul Whelan flags human rights violations in Russian jail
- Date: 24th October 2019
- Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (OCTOBER 24, 2019) (REUTERS) U.S. CITIZEN PAUL WHELAN BEING ESCORTED TO COURT ROOM, WHELAN GREETS JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. CITIZEN PAUL WHELAN, SAYING: "(IN DEFENDANT'S CAGE SHOWING LETTER) Make sure you get this. (OVER LETTER) The important part today is human rights violation in the prison. The fact that the Moscow prosecutor refuses, absolutely refuses to talk to me about human rights violations that are occurring in the prison (COURT OFFICIAL HEADS SAYING: ALL OUT) I'm the victim of an assault by a prison agent, and that's something that you need to cover. If the Moscow prosecutor is a coward and he refuses to talk to me, maybe he will talk to you." VARIOUS OF LEFORTOVSKY COURT EXTERIOR
- Embargoed: 7th November 2019 07:19
- Keywords: Russia Whelan U.S. Russia Butina court human rights
- Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
- Country: Russia
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA001B2GIXXJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan on Thursday (October 24) flagged human rights violations in Russia's Lefortovo prison, as he was speaking to media from the defendant's cage in court.
Whelan also showed the media a written message to the international community, urging it to 'act decisively' and support him.
The Moscow court ordered Whelan to remain in jail until December 29 on espionage charges, the Interfax news agency reported.
Paul Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Canadian and Irish passports, was detained in December 2018 and accused of spying. Moscow says he was caught red-handed but he denies the allegations and says he was set up in a politically motivated sting.
In the message Whelan showed to the media on Thursday, he wrote: "Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission, in reality they abducted Mr. Bean on holiday!"
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