(France 24) - Russia detained Whelan, 48, on charges of espionage on 28 December. Whelan’s family insists he was in Russia to attend the wedding of a retired Marine. If found guilty of espionage, he faces up to between 10 and 20 years in prison.
Complicating matters further is the fact that Whelan holds four passports: American, Canadian, British and Irish -- all of which have offered him consular support. He was born in Canada to British parents and moved to the United States when he was a child.