The relatives of the convict told reporters about the American's complaints about corruption in the FSIN system (Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia). They posted an audio recording of his statement.
"I ask the General Prosecutor's Office and the Investigative Committee of Russia to investigate the corruption that reigns here on an ongoing basis", - quotes the words of the American Interfax.
Earlier it was reported that on November 19, investigators arrested the head of the colony where Whelan is sitting for bribery.
According to Whelan, the boss "threatened to get revenge" for his complaints of violations of the law and human rights.
“The senior staff member of the colony is currently removed from office because of the way he behaved with me. The warden was punished for trying to cover up the incident. Corruption knows no boundaries here”, - Whelan said.
According to the American, theft, extortion, and unjustified disciplinary sanctions are rife in the colony. It is difficult for a lawyer and diplomatic officials to enter the institution.
In addition, Whelan mentions forged documents and the presence of rats in the colony.
The head of the colony, where Whelan is sitting, was detained by the FSB officers with the assistance of the internal security department of the regional department of the FSIN. The official was suspected of taking bribes from one of the convicts. A criminal case was initiated against the detainee under paragraph "b" of Part 5 of Art. 290 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (taking a bribe). He faces up to 12 years in prison.
Whelan, a former US Marine, was detained in Moscow on December 28, 2018. According to the lawyer, the investigation believes that Whelan was engaged in espionage in favor of the American special services: the flash drive seized from him allegedly contained information constituting a state secret. At the same time, the defense claims, Whelan believed that the carrier contained personal data about his past trips to Russia, but he did not have time to get acquainted with its contents. David Whelan, Paul's brother, said that he came to Moscow by invitation to a wedding. In 2020, the court sentenced Whelan to 16 years in prison for espionage.
Whelan pleaded not guilty, but did not appeal the verdict, because he hoped that he would be exchanged for the Russians Viktor Bout and Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted in America.
On November 8, 2021, in court, a representative of the Prosecutor General's Office explained that Whelan was charged with trying to obtain data on the FSB university entrants. The lawyer Zherebenkov on the same day told reporters that, according to his information, all negotiations with the United States on a possible exchange or pardon of Whelan had stopped, since in the United States "Whelan is considered a hostage." He also expressed the opinion that "without the American side recognizing the Russian verdict, Whelan is unlikely to be extradited to the United States".