Novi native Paul Whelan says he was assaulted by a prisoner while working at a sewing table in a Russian labor camp.
The alleged assault occurred on Tuesday (Nov. 28) at 1:30 p.m. (Moscow time) at a table like the one you may have seen in the RT propaganda video in early 2023.
Whelan said a new prisoner blocked part of the production line, and when the Novi, Michigan native asked the prisoner to move out of the way, he hit him in the face, breaking his glasses while also attempting to hit him a second time.
Whelan’s family said he blocked the second attempt while standing up before other prisoners intervened to prevent the continued prisoner attack.
Whelan said guards would not enter the workshop, so he was at the mercy of the prisoner, so he had to go looking for a guard to report the attack.
He described the attack as minor, but the incident was reported to the prison camp’s deputy warden, asking the prison administration to allow him to speak to the Mordovia prosecutor’s office for investigation.
Whelan says he was concerned that more attacks would occur at any time due to the various sharp implements in the workshop, which include various sharp tools in the workshop like a shear that the other prisoner held during the attack.
He said he feared that a much more severe attack could escalate as he is a target because he is an American. The anti-American sentiment is not uncommon among the other prisoners.
There was no word if the officials implemented proper steps to ensure Whelan’s safety in the future.