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Paul Whelan, a former Marine imprisoned in Russia on charges he denies, expressed concerns following the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, describing the event as “extremely troubling.”
In a conversation with CNN, Whelan reflected on Navalny’s death, stating, “If they can get to him, they can get to me. It’s extremely troubling that someone like Navalny would die under suspicious circumstances, but it’s also extremely worrying for me that this is the sort of thing that goes on.”

Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for alleged espionage, added, “If they are willing to face the repercussions from the world for doing in somebody like Navalny, they’re not going to think twice about doing in someone like me, and then blaming the United States for not bothering to get me back in five years. So when I’ve said in the past that my death warrant’s been signed, this is the sort of thing that I refer to.”
The death of Navalny, who was serving a 19-year sentence, was officially attributed to “sudden death syndrome” by Russian authorities after he reportedly fell ill. This explanation has been met with skepticism.