This US government photo shows American journalist Evan Gershkovich (left), American-Russian journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (far right) and former US Marine Paul Whelan (second from right) on a plane after being released from Russia.
The United States on Thursday confirmed the historic prisoner exchange with Russia. The exchange released American journalists Ivan Gershkovich, Alsou Kurmasheva, former US Navy SEAL Paul Whelan and permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The US has confirmed the release of a total of 16 people. These people include five Germans and seven Russians who were mistakenly detained. They are being released in exchange for eight people detained in America, Germany, Poland, Norway and Slovenia.
This is the largest prisoner exchange between the US and Russia since the Cold War.
“Today’s (prisoner-) exchange will be historic,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told a news conference. Not since the Cold War have such a large number of persons been exchanged. This is the culmination of many, many months of complex and painstaking rounds of negotiations.”
Sullivan said it was the first time so many countries and allies had worked together to secure the release of wrongfully detained people.
In addition to Americans, the agreement also secured the release of German citizens and Russian political prisoners. Among those being released are Dieter Voronin, Kevin Leake, Rico Krieger, Patrick Schuebel, Hermann Moes, Ilya Yasin, Lilia Chenysheva, Ksenia Fadeeva, Vadim Ostanin, Andrei Pivovarov, Oleg Orlov and Sasha Skochilenko.
A Russian plane takes off from Ankara airport in Turkey. It is believed that the released Russian prisoners returned to Russia on this plane. Photo: August 1, 2024.
“Some of these men and women have been unjustly detained for years,” US President Joe Biden said in a statement. They all endured unimaginable pain and uncertainty. Today their suffering is over. The agreement that secured their independence is a feat of diplomacy.”
Former Marine Paul Whelan was the longest detained American. He was arrested in Moscow in 2018. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 on espionage charges.
Wall Street Journal correspondent Gershkovich and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Kurmasheva were both detained in 2023. Both were sentenced in separate closed-door trials on July 19. The trial was widely condemned as a farce.
Kara-Murza, a Washington Post columnist and activist, has been detained since April 2022. He was also released. The politician and historian was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his collection of letters written from prison.
On behalf of Russia, the Kremlin negotiated the release of Vadim Krasikov. The Russian was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany.
“It became clear that the Russians would not agree to release these men, including Vadim Krasikov, without exchange,” Sullivan told reporters.
Among those returning to Russia are Artem Viktorovich Dalsev and Anna Valerievna Dalsev from Slovenia; Mikhail Valerievich Mikushin from Norway; Pawel Alekseyevich Rubsov from Poland and Roman Seleznev, Vladislav Klyushin and Vadim Konoshchenko from the United States.