Day 15 - Paul Whelan - Lefortovo Prison Moscow - Update Jan 11, 2019 - Ambassador Huntsman calls family

I spoke with Ambassador Huntsman this morning and he reaffirmed that Paul was well and that the U.S. Embassy is monitoring his health and condition at the prison.  The Ambassador said that he had spoken with the UK, Canadian, and Irish embassies and consular officials from all four countries will be meeting on Monday (1/14/2019) to coordinate their oversight of his detention.  He stressed that this oversight is a critical part of the consular support the U.S. government can provide Paul.  Our family continues to be very grateful for all of their efforts on Paul's behalf. 

Funds to enable Paul to purchase basic toiletries and other items in jail are making their way forward.  The U.S. State Department created an account for family members to make money available to Paul.  Those funds have now been forwarded to a bank in Moscow and should be available to Paul next week.  The U.S. Embassy staff is hoping to meet with Paul on Wednesday (1/16/2019). 

Paul's family continues to rally around efforts to bring him home, as shown in messages like this on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.whelan.10/posts/1297546170385713) and grassroots petition campaigns.  We realize that it will take months or years for the Russian legal system to process Paul's case, and we're hopeful that action by Western governments will occur in the meantime. 

Thanks for your continued interest in Paul's arrest and efforts to bring him home.