
As part of a significant international prisoner swap not seen since the Cold War, three American citizens who had been wrongfully imprisoned in Russia—including journalist Evan Gershkovich and veteran Marine Paul Whelan—were released on Thursday.
The enormous agreement, which is divided among six countries, concerns 24 individuals: 12 German citizens, a lawful permanent resident of the United States who is being detained in Russia, and eight Russians who are in prison in the United States, Germany, Slovenia, Norway, and Poland.
The Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 while doing reporting in Yekaterinburg, an industrial area to the east of Moscow. His trial was generally regarded as a farce when he was found guilty of espionage in July of that year, despite his publication’s front pages vehemently calling for his release. He received a 16-year prison sentence.
Whelan, a businessman, was found guilty of espionage and was incarcerated in a penal colony for 16 years. He was arrested in 2018 while in Russia for a friend’s wedding. The US has refuted the accusations.
Whelan was left out of two prior prisoner swaps, and he told the BBC in a December interview that he thought the United States had betrayed him by leaving him behind.
National Security adviser Jake Sullivan stated that before to the announcement of the swap, President Joe Biden had spoken with the families of prisoners being sent back to the United States.
“Prior to the swap being finalized, the president is meeting with the families of Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza at the White House this morning to inform them that an exchange is taking place to ensure the release of their loved ones from Russia.”
Additionally released was Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., a dual Russian-British national and permanent resident of the United States who was imprisoned for 25 years on treason charges in April 2023. Kurmasheva is a journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Before returning home, the Russian detainees were transported by air to Turkey.
Amidst increased political tensions between the United States and Russia, including sanctions placed on Russia and Russian leaders for their invasion of Ukraine beginning in 2022, the intricate prisoner swap represents a unique instance of cooperation. Prior to the war, tensions existed between the two nations because of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and its annexation of Crimea.
Vadim Krasikov, who was sentenced to life in prison in Germany for the 2019 killing of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist, in Berlin, in what the prosecution considered to be a Russian state-sanctioned assassination, is the most well-known Russian prisoner freed as part of the swap. Khangoshvili is suspected of being involved in several attacks on Russian territory, including the 2010 Moscow Metro suicide bombings, according to Russian officials.
Three Russian detainees were freed by the US, one of them was an intelligence agent accused of transferring US weapons and technology into the hands of the Russian military. Slovenia freed two Russian detainees, while Poland and Norway each freed one.
After a protracted battle against official corruption and President Vladimir Putin’s administration that included multiple attempts at poisoning, Russia freed 12 German inmates, the majority of them were associated with opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who passed away in prison in February.
Since December 2022, the Biden administration has been working on Thursday’s prisoner swap. In that most recent high-profile swap, WNBA star Brittney Griner was traded for infamous Russian arms dealer Victor Bout, also referred to as the “Merchant of Death.”
After two vape cartridges with hashish oil were discovered in Griner’s luggage, she was taken into custody at an airport close to Moscow.
The swap sparked discussion about the dangers of trading Russian prisoners for wrongfully imprisoned Americans. Critics pointed out that the crimes Griner and Bout were convicted of were not equivalent, and that doing so might incite foreign enemies to kidnap Americans overseas and use them as negotiating chips.
Multiple swap offers with Russia were discussed. According to a senior administration official, national security advisor Sullivan contacted his German counterpart, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken was the first American official to communicate with Russia through his counterpart.
A breakthrough occurred in January 2024 when German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was summoned to the White House by Biden, who also informed him that a swap would be discussed. The intention was for Krasikov to be freed and for a settlement to involve Russian opposition leader Navalny. Later on, Scholz said he was open to suggestions.
Then, a few days later, Navalny passed away at a Russian prison colony in the Arctic, sparking fresh negotiations that resulted in Thursday’s more significant exchange, according to a senior administration official.