MOSCOW – The family of the American citizen arrested in Russia on espionage charges said on Tuesday that he is innocent, and they fear for his safety.

Paul Whelan, a 48-year-old retired U.S. Marine, was detained last week by Russia’s domestic security services while he was in Moscow for what they described as a “spy mission.”

“We are deeply concerned for his safety and well-being,” his family said in a statement. “His innocence is undoubted and we trust that his rights will be respected.”

Whelan’s twin brother, David, said Paul was in Moscow for a fellow former Marine’s wedding, which took place at an upscale hotel in central Moscow on Dec. 28, the day he was detained.

“It is inconceivable to me that he would have done anything to break the law in Russia,” his brother told The Washington Post.

By Russian law, foreigners found guilty of spying on Russia face between 10 and 20 years in jail.

Whelan’s family said they have been told that the U.S. government will see him within a 72-hour window that has already begun. The State Department confirmed a U.S. citizen has been arrested in Russia, but declined to give details, citing privacy concerns.

My brother was detained by the Russian government on Friday as an alleged spy. While the law library + info focus will remain, you may see an increase in off-message topics until we get him safely home. pic.twitter.com/2HIF1UmS1b

— David Whelan (@davidpwhelan) January 1, 2019

Whelan, who is based in Michigan, works in corporate security for BorgWarner, a U.S.-based automotive parts supplier that has business contracts in Russia.

According to his brother and Russian acquaintances reached by The Post, Whelan has been visiting Russia since 2007. That year, as a U.S. Marine serving in Iraq, he visited the Russian capital during a break from duty.

Several Russian acquaintances described Whelan as a friendly man who greatly appreciated Russia.

His arrest comes as tensions between Washington and Moscow continue to escalate over a range of issues from election meddling, the crises in Syria and Ukraine and the poisoning of a Russian former spy in Britain.

Earlier this month, Russian gun rights activist Maria Butina pleaded guilty to conspiring with a senior Russian official to infiltrate U.S. conservatives. Butina, 30, is the first Russian national to be convicted of seeking to influence U.S. policy in the run-up to the 2016 election by acting as a foreign agent.

Shortly before her guilty plea, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Butina was not known to any of his spy agencies. The country’s Foreign Ministry has gone to great lengths to paint Butina as a political prisoner, including launching a wide-ranging social media campaign.

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