US urges Russia’s Lavrov to see suffering of Whelan’s sister

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.S. has brought the sister of an American imprisoned in Russia to the U.N. Security Council for a session being chaired by the Russian foreign minister, urging him to “look into her eyes and see her suffering.” U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called on Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to release Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence after being convicted of espionage. His family and the U.S. government have called the charges baseless. His sister, Elizabeth Whelan, was in the visitor’s gallery for Monday’s session.