[WAPO] Since Russia accused U.S. citizen Paul Whelan of espionage and detained him last week, curious details about the 48-year-old’s personal life have continued to trickle out. He was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 for bad conduct. He has dozens of Russian friends on the Russian social media site Vkontakte.And he claims citizenship in four countries.
This week, U.S. ambassador to Russia Jon Huntsman visited Whelan in the detention facility in Moscow where he is being held. Whelan, a Michigan resident, was born in Canada, and family ties allowed him also to qualify for British and Irish citizenship. Both European countries are requesting access to him, raising questions about whether Whelan’s many passports could affect potential negotiations for his release.
Michael A. Olivas, a law professor at the University of Houston, told The Washington Post that being a citizen in as many as four countries might be uncommon but that it’s "increasingly common that people would have two or more" passports. "Most people don’t live lives that necessitate, require or even allow four passports," Olivas said. But "it’s certainly not illegal."
[Family of American arrested in Russia on spy charges fears for his safety]
It doesn’t matter which passport Whelan used to enter Russia. All four countries have the opportunity to assist him. And having ties to so many nations could help him. "What it does is it gives more countries more stake in his situation," Olivas said.
What remains to be seen is whether one country will speak louder than another on his behalf. Ariel Cohen, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council think tank, told The Post that "it’s absolutely crucial" for all four countries to work together. Otherwise, he warned, Russia could try to make different arrangements with different countries. "If the group doesn’t speak in one voice, the Russians will manage to get a higher price for him," Cohen said.