Paul Whelan, an American who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for five years, is afraid for his safety after being assaulted by another inmate late last month, he said in a call with CNN on Wednesday.
Whelan said he is being targeted by an official at a remote prison camp in Mordovia in retaliation for the official being admonished for the November 28 assault.
Whelan — who holds citizenships in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Canada — was detained at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 by Russian authorities who accused him of being a spy. The United States Marine Corps veteran was sentenced to 16 years in prison on an espionage charge he vehemently denies.
Whelan previously told CNN that he was attacked in a prison factory by a newly arrived 50-year-old Turkish man who harbors anti-American views.
Whelan told CNN that the prison official, whom he did not name, called on prisoners to instigate fights with him for the purposes of getting him disciplined.
Whelan also said that “prisoners, on the (official’s) behalf, asked me for $1,100 protection money.”
“That amount is the exact amount of my prison account, and prisoners would not have known that unless they had been told,” Whelan told CNN.
“Having no luck with obtaining the money, he ordered me to move to a different barrack, which would expose me to criminal behavior as well as the potential of assault,” Whelan said. “Most people carry knives here and many use stimulants which can make them wild and violent — a deadly combination where any sort of conflict exists, especially an incident provoked by the deputy warden.”
CNN has reached out to prison for comment. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday he was unaware of Whelan’s claims about safety concerns and alleged targeting by prison staff.
In response to CNN’s question during a regular conference call with reporters, Peskov said, “No, to be honest, we don’t know about this. I can’t say anything about this. I just didn’t know there was such an interview.”
Whelan said he’s spoken to human rights representatives from the prison oversight group, and said he has “insisted on speaking with the prosecutor.”
“The Russian government has to do more to ensure my safety here and right main threat is the (official),” he said, and called on the Russian government to have him removed.
Whelan also noted he feels threatened because he is an American, and he said the prisoners at his camp “don’t look too kindly upon” the US’ support of Israel in Gaza.
Whelan told CNN that when he spoke to prison officials about his concerns, they told him he could go to solitary confinement 24 hours a day.
Whelan said he had spoken with the office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and the US Embassy regarding his concerns about the official.
“They’re considering what action they can take. They’ll discuss it with the Russian officials that they negotiate with, as well as protest the activity through official channels,” he said.
The assault underscored concerns from Whelan, 53, and his family about his continued detention in the prison due to his age and vulnerability as an American citizen.
He’s watched as the US has secured the release of other Americans being held in Russia, including WNBA player Brittney Griner and Trevor Reed, another Marine veteran.
Griner and Reed were freed in a series of prisoner swaps last year. The US said the Russians refused to include Whelan in those swaps.
In previous conversations with CNN, Whelan has expressed frustration and a sense that he was abandoned by the US government.
He told CNN in October that he told Secretary of State Antony Blinken “point blank that leaving me here the first time painted a target on my back and leaving me here the second time basically signed a death warrant.”
The State Department, which has designated Whelan as wrongfully detained, renewed calls for Russia to release Whelan and other American citizen detainees. American journalist Evan Gershkovich has been detained in Russia since March and is also designated as wrongfully detained.
“We urge the Russian government to ensure fair treatment and appropriate medical care for all U.S. citizens detained in Russia,” a State Department spokesperson said Wednesday.