U.S. ambassador to Russia visits Whelan at Mordovia penitentiary - embassy

MOSCOW. May 4 (Interfax) - United States Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy has visited U.S. citizen and convicted spy Paul Whelan at a penitentiary in Russia's internal republic of Mordovia.

"Today, Ambassador Tracy visited Paul Whelan at IK17 prison in Mordovia," the embassy said on Thursday.

"The U.S. government will continue to engage Russian authorities on his case so Paul can come home as soon as possible," it said.

The Moscow City Court ruled on June 15, 2020, to sentence Whelan, a citizen of the U.S., Ireland, Canada, and the United Kingdom, to 16 years in prison for spying.