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Rose Fenster and son Danny Fenster
Rose Fenster, the Huntington Woods mother of journalist Danny Fenster, who was imprisoned in Mynamar for nearly six months in 2021, felt the pain every time she heard news about Russia wrongfully detaining Paul Whelan of Novi and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.
On Thursday she was full of joy after hearing news that both had been released in a major prisoner swap involving 24 adults in seven countries.
"There was such relief that they were released," Fenster told Deadline Detroit. "Every hair on my arm was standing up, I had tears."
Paul Whelan (File photo)
Whelan, 54, had been detained since 2018 on espionage charges. Gershkovich, 32, had been detained for similar charges since March 2023. Both were convicted and sentenced on what the U.S. considered bogus charges and sham trials.
Rose Fenster recalls the pain and angst of working tirelessly with the government and others to release her son.
"I would see news clips of them and I would get the same guttural trigger like when Danny was there. You imagine what the families are going through to try and get them out."
"It's just sickening how they can use people as pawns. Life has no value. It's sickening."
Danny Fenster, now 40, was arrested at the Myanmar airport in May 2021 while working for the publication Frontier Myanmar.
Evan Gershkovich (Linkedin photo)
After being convicted, Danny was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of publishing or circulating comments that “cause fear” or spread “false news.” He was released in November 2021, a short time after his conviction.
Fenster went on to do a journalism fellowship at Harvard. Since then, he has been stationed in Thailand, working with Frontier Myanmar.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday issued a statement on the releases:
"Today, a Michigan family can breathe a long sigh of relief after a years-long nightmare. Paul Whelan, a proud United States Marine and Michigander is finally coming back home along with Evan Gershkovich, a journalist, and several other Americans. When Paul was unjustly arrested in 2019, he was on his way to Michigan, and I am grateful to the Biden-Harris administration for successfully negotiating his peaceful release. It’s been five long years, and I know Paul’s family and every Michigander is excited to welcome him with open arms and lots of love.”
