Family of Marine veteran Paul Whelan backs Griner prisoner swap

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Family of Marine veteran Paul Whelan backs Griner prisoner swap
By Mike Householder, The Associated Press and Kathleen Foody, The Associated Press
 Dec 8, 02:06 PM
FILE - Paul Whelan, a U.S. Marine veteran who was arrested for alleged spying, listens to the verdict in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, June 15, 2020. (Sofia Sandurskaya, Moscow News Agency photo via AP, File)

The family of an American Marine veteran detained in Russia for nearly four years said Thursday that the Biden administration “made the right decision” by agreeing to a prisoner exchange that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner, but relatives are “devastated” that Paul Whelan remains behind.

Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive, has been jailed since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless.