U.S. ambassador visits Paul Whelan, American imprisoned in Russia

Washington — The U.S. ambassador to Russia visited American Paul Whelan in a prison in eastern Russia where he is being held on Thursday, the latest sign that the U.S. is continuing to work to secure his release.

"Today, Ambassador Tracy visited #PaulWhelan at IK17 prison in Mordovia," the U.S. Embassy in Moscow said in a tweet, referring to Ambassador Lynne Tracy.

"Paul has been wrongfully detained in Russia for more than 4 years, and his release remains an absolute priority," it said. "The U.S. government will continue to engage Russian authorities on his case so Paul can come home as soon as possible."