THE SILENCE IS THE WORST. When my twin brother, Paul Whelan, doesn't call us from the Russian labor colony where he is held hostage, we worry. Well, we worry all the time. But particularly when he's silent.
Paul calls home almost every day. When he doesn't, it usually means the routine human rights abuses have become something else. We already know that Paul is woken every two hours every night..
Imagine not being able to sleep for more than two hours at a time for two years. We also know he's been put in solitary confinement for 30 days at a time. The United Nations describes that as torture.
Paul's calls to our parents are such a lifeline. I have not spoken to Paul since October 2018 when we were at our parents' house in Michigan. He was saying he'd be away to help a fellow Marine having a wedding in Moscow over Christmas. I was to keep an eye on our parents. We never imagined that he was the one who'd need an eye kept on him.
The calls stopped coming in September 2022 and again this past November. Paul tells our parents it is because the Wagner mercenaries [a private military company] are at the prison recruiting soldiers for Russia's war in Ukraine. The prison doesn't want Paul to report on the recruitment. They silence him by sending him to a prison hospital, where he's at risk of actually getting sick. Paul warned the prison that a lack of phone calls would worry our family, especially at Thanksgiving. We were glad when he finally resurfaced, healthy as you can be in a Russian prison. Back to the routine abuses and corruption of his day-to-day existence.
This story is from the January 06 - 13, 2023 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 06 - 13, 2023 (Double Issue) edition of Newsweek US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Is It Time to Leave Syria?
The U.S. is reportedly considering withdrawing from the country, with pressure from Damascus amid deepening unrest in the region. Is this the right move? Two experts weigh in
Chris Perfetti
IF YOU'RE ONE OF THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS SINGING THE PRAISES of ABC's Abbott Elementary, fear not, they've heard you. \"We love to hear it,\" says Chris Perfetti, who plays Jacob Hill on the Emmy-winning sitcom about teachers at a Philadelphia public school.
Divine Intervention
POPE FRANCIS' PROGRESSIVE REPOSITIONING OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS CREATED BATTLE LINES BETWEEN ITS 1.3 BILLION FOLLOWERS, NO MORE SO THAN IN THE UNITED STATES
Who Rules Gaza When the Fighting Stops?
With no clear leader coming to the fore, questions remain about how the devastated territory will be managed
No End Game in Sight
Benjamin Netanyahu is risking a pyrrhic victory in Gaza that damages the chances of long-term peace
'We're Living a Nightmare - Day After Day'
Families of three Israeli hostages share their pain as they wait for their loved ones to be released, six months after they were abducted
Gillian Anderson
IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT'S TRUE ABOUT GILLIAN ANDERSON, IT'S THAT she isn't afraid of a challenge.
Alex Edelman
A JEW ACCIDENTALLY STUMBLES UPON A gathering of white nationalists. For most, this would be a cause for concern, but for Alex Edelman it's an opportunity for a hit one-man comedy show.
LEGACY OF DISUPTION
TOM DOLL CHANGED THE WAY SUBARU OPERATES. During a 40-year tenure at the automaker, he worked to develop some of the best-known vehicles and marketing campaigns in the automotive world.
SUSTAINABILITY DISRUPTOR OF THE YEAR
SUSTAINABILITY ISN'T JUST ABOUT BUYING an electric vehicle or driving in a way that saves fuel.