Addressing the defendant, the judge suggested that she should call an ambulance. Whelan, however, said that he needed not a paramedic, but hospitalisation to be examined by a doctor.
The judge, nevertheless, personally called the ambulance, so that its staff could determine whether the defendant needs hospitalisation.
The court hearing is considering the possibility of prolonging Whelan’s arrest until the end of October. Earlier in the day, Whelan said that he was not ready to fully partake in the hearing as he was taking painkillers and had not eaten since Thursday evening because he had medical procedures scheduled for Friday.
Whelan, who is also a citizen of Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom, was arrested in Russia in December on charges of espionage. If convicted, he may face from 10 to 20 years in prison.
A former US marine, Whelan has denied the charges and insisted he was in Russia to attend a friend’s wedding. Court papers have revealed that he had frequented Russia since 2007.