JUST IN: Paul Whelan Says He’s ‘Greatly Disappointed’ Brittney Griner Prisoner Swap Didn’t Secure His Release Too

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Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan reportedly said he’s “greatly disappointed” that the U.S. prisoner swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner didn’t include him.

“I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred,” Whelan told CNN’s Jennifer Hansler on Thursday. “I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”

Whelan said he’s pleased Griner has been released but told CNN he “was led to believe that things were moving in the right direction, and that the governments were negotiating and that something would happen fairly soon.”

Whelan noted that Russia was treating him differently than Griner since Russia views him as a spy – despite there being no evidence to prove that. Whelan is currently serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony.

Griner was swapped for arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death.” Bout was serving a 25-year federal prison sentence for conspiring to kill U.S. citizens, providing support to a terrorist organization, and delivering anti-aircraft missiles. Griner was arrested in Russia in February, a week before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, for possessing cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia.

Reportedly, Russia was only willing to do a one-for-one deal with Griner. The exchange occurred in the United Arab Emirates.