Paul Whelan, an American who has been detained in Russia since 2018, was attacked by another inmate at a Russian prison labor camp in Mordovia, according to his brother, David Whelan.
Paul Whelan was working at a sewing table Tuesday when a prisoner blocked part of the production line, forcing Whelan to ask him repeatedly to move out of the way, his brother said.
The prisoner struck Whelan in the face and broke his glasses, and he would have hit him again if other inmates had not stepped in the way to break up the fight, according to his brother.
The injuries were minor, but David Whelan said his brother has informed the deputy warden of the Mordovia prison camp of the attack and believes officials will take the incident seriously.
“He is also concerned that these sorts of attacks can occur any time and, due to the various sharp implements in the workshop including the shears the other prisoner was holding today, could escalate into a far more serious attack,” David Whelan wrote in an email.
“Paul is a target because he is an American and anti-American sentiment is not uncommon among the other prisoners,” his brother added.
Paul Whelan’s family has filed a complaint with the Mordovia prosecutor’s office and with the human rights ombudsman in the Russian Federation, which is about eight hours outside of Moscow.
The family also shared audio of a phone call with Paul Whelan about the attack to the State Department and the White House.
An investigation is underway and Russia’s Interior Ministry is expected to make a decision on whether formal criminal charges will be filed, according to Russian state-run media outlet TASS.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after his 2018 arrest on espionage charges, which he denies. The U.S. has identified him as wrongfully detained.