Russia court orders Novi man held for two more months

Associated Press

A Moscow court has ruled to keep an Oakland County man suspected of spying in prison for two more months.

The court ruled on Friday to keep Paul Whelan of Novi behind bars at least until late October. Whelan, who is reportedly kept in cramped conditions at a Moscow detention facility, felt unwell, and the court called an ambulance.

Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, center, who was arrested for alleged spying in Moscow at the end of 2018, speaks to a journalist while being escorted for a hearing in a court room in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Aug. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Paramedics, however, said he doesn’t require hospitalization. The U.S. Embassy last month said Whelan’s condition has worsened.

Whelan, who also holds British, Irish and Canadian citizenship, was arrested in a hotel room in Moscow in December last year and charged with espionage, which carries up to 20 years in prison. He has publicly complained of poor prison conditions and has said his life is in danger.