Convicted as an American spy, Paul Whelan is preparing to spend Christmas in a Russian labour camp as talks to negotiate his release have faltered.  In his first detailed interview since his arrest, Mr Whelan has described life locked up alongside murderers and thieves as a “very, very grim existence” and called on his four governments to do more to get him out.

The former US Marine has always insisted he is innocent, describing himself as a hostage of “slimy” Russian politics and a “sham” trial. A high-profile prisoner, who also holds British, Canadian and Irish passports thanks to family ties, he had been banking on some kind of prisoner swap soon after sentencing. That was more than six months ago.(BBC)…[+]