No One Is 'Safe' in Russia After Navalny Death: Paul Whelan Brother

David Whelan told Newsweek that the death of jailed Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny is further indication that "safety" for people like his jailed brother, Paul Whelan, has always been a concern.

Navalny was pronounced dead on Friday by Russia's Federal Penitentiary Service, sparking accusations of nefarious activity perpetrated by the Kremlin. The 47-year-old reportedly felt unwell after a walk, "lost consciousness almost immediately," and died shortly afterward, the prison service said in a statement.

"Medical workers from the institution immediately arrived and an emergency medical team was called," the statement said. "All necessary resuscitation measures were carried out, which did not yield positive results. Ambulance doctors stated the death of the convict."

Navalny was given a 19-year prison sentence that began in February 2021 following major fraud and contempt of court charges. Deemed one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's most ardent critics, he was being held in an Arctic penal colony known for its harsh conditions.

"I think it is naive to think that the U.S. government can impede the Kremlin's mistreatment of others, whether it's the rape of Ukrainians or the murder of President Putin's opponents," David Whelan told Newsweek via email. "There is no way to assure Paul's safety and that has been a constant concern of ours over the last 61 months.

"We will continue to raise safety concerns with the U.S. government, the media, and Russian legal entities but there is no way to assure anyone's personal safety in a nation with a government like Russia."

Paul Whelan was arrested in December 2018 and has been jailed in Russia since. He was convicted of espionage and, in June 2020, was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Both Whelan and the Biden administration have denied that he was involved in espionage, and the State Department claims that he is being wrongfully detained.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris made mention of Navalny's death on Friday, telling attendees at the Munich Security Conference in Germany that it is a "further sign of Putin's brutality."

"My prayers are with his family," Harris said. "Whatever story they tell, let us be clear: Russia is responsible. And we will have more to say on this later."

Putin's role in Navalny's death is being questioned, with many viewing it as politically motivated and akin to political assassination—including Navalny's wife, Yulia Navalnaya, who made impromptu comments while at the same conference as Harris.

She said that the longtime Russian president and his allies "should be held personally responsible for all the atrocities they have committed in our country."

"We cannot believe Putin and his government, they are lying constantly," Navalnaya said. "But if it is the truth, I would like Putin and all his staff—everybody around him, his government, his friends—I want them to know that they will be punished for what they have done with our country, with my family, and with my husband.

"They will be brought to justice. And this day will come soon."

World leaders have also put the blame on Putin, some calling Navalny's death "murder."

"Whatever your thoughts about Alexey [Navalny] as the politician, he was just brutally murdered by the Kremlin," Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "That's a fact and that is something one should know about the true nature of Russia's current regime. My condolences to the family and friends."

David Whelan and his sister, Elizabeth Whelan, have been vocal about the safe return of their brother—an ex-U.S. Marine and Michigan corporate security executive who, in October 2018, told his family he would temporarily be away to help a fellow Marine having a wedding in Moscow over Christmas.

David said that his parents spoke to Paul this week, though he is not allowed to call other family members. He described Paul as "regaining a balance in his morale" while acknowledging that the five-year detention mark in December "was very hard."

Navalny's death likely won't have any impact on Paul's detention, he added.

"The Kremlin has made no secret that it is open to killing its opponents, and I am sorry that they were finally able to murder Mr. Navalny after so many attempts," David said. "It obviously raises significant concerns about the threat facing Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, and many others.

"But his experience, and that of other domestic political prisoners, is very different from Paul's. We will always be concerned about the Russian government's indifference to human life, and to our brother's life in particular, but that concern has existed and will continue to exist until Paul is free. It is ever-present."

Elizabeth Whelan continues to remain in contact with the U.S. government and speaks regularly with staff in the U.S. State Department and other agencies.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Lynne Tracy, U.S. ambassador to the Russian Federation, spoke with Paul within the last few weeks.

"They continue to be supportive and we continue to be encouraging of their work to find a resolution to Paul's case," David said. "Hopefully, that will happen sooner than later, but, unfortunately, we will only know we are close when the day has arrived."

Last September, Elizabeth spoke to Newsweek ahead of her 24th trip to Washington, D.C., to advocate for Paul's release. In December, she met with President Joe Biden for the second time in the span of one year to further discuss any progress.

She has continued to encourage Americans to push for her brother's release, in addition to other Americans wrongfully detained in Russia.

"A lack of urgency in the early days, weeks, and months of Paul's wrongful detention allowed the Russians the time to dig in, and now any price paid to get Paul home is sure to be higher than it would have been in 2019," Elizabeth said in September. "Anyone who wants to stop these wrongful detentions from happening is free to call the NSC with their ideas.

"Hostage-diplomacy is a national security issue, as the country is being extorted by a hostile foreign nation over the fate of an American citizen. This has to stop, but not at the expense of leaving Americans behind or making it more difficult to bring other Americans home."

Update 02/16/24, 10:55 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.