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2024 Russian prisoner exchange

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The three released American citizens together with government officials and staff on their return flight to the U.S.

On 1 August 2024, the largest prisoner exchange involving the United States since the end of the Cold War occurred, involving the release of twenty-six people. Following at least six months of secret multilateral negotiations,[1][2] Russia and Belarus released sixteen detainees while the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Norway collectively released eight detainees and two minors. Among those released were Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, who had each received sixteen-year sentences for espionage.[3][4]

The prisoner exchange, which has been described as one of the most complex in history,[5] took place at Ankara Esenboğa Airport in Turkey. Under the terms of the agreement, the eight Russian nationals and two minors were transferred to Russia, while thirteen Russian-held prisoners were released to Germany and three to the U.S.[6]

Background

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During the Cold War, the U.S. and Soviet Union routinely exchanged prisoners, who were typically spies.[7] However, over the last two decades, such trades have increasingly involved dissidents and individuals deemed by the United States to have been "wrongfully detained" by Russia.[7]

Since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014, and especially following the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, several prisoner trades between the U.S. and Russia have taken place.[1] Since 2012, Russian foreign agent law has been used to persecute those considered to be under foreign influence, officially classifying them as foreign agents; these powers were expanded in 2024.[8] The foreign policy of Vladimir Putin in relation to post-Soviet states envisages Russia in a leadership role[9][10] and opposes NATO enlargement there. According to Western analysts,[11][12] Belarus acts on the Kremlin's demand under the Russian-dominated supranational "Union State".

Prisoner exchange

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Negotiations and preparation

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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met with German chancellor Olaf Scholz and Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob separately during the Munich Security Conference in February 2024 to privately discuss the negotiations.[13] During a subsequent February 2024 trip by Scholz to Washington, D.C., the German and American governments began working on how to negotiate an agreement that would include the freeing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. After Navalny's death later that month—explained by his allies as a killing to prevent the exchange—the proposal turned to focus on other prisoners.[14][15]

On 21 July, American president Joe Biden called Slovenian prime minister Robert Golob to secure the necessary pardons for two Russian spies held in the country that were to be exchanged as part of the swap.[15]

In the days leading up to the exchange, three Russians were transferred from facilities operated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to the United States Marshals Service.[16]

Turkey served as a mediator, according to the Directorate of Communications.[17]

Individuals released

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U.S. President Biden and family members of the released Americans speaking with the prisoners by phone in the Oval Office, following the release of the Americans kept prisoner

Twenty-six individuals, including two minors believed to be the children of the two Russian spies in Slovenia, were released.[18][19][3] Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina were not included as part of the exchange.[20] Individuals returning to Russia are from various countries: the United States, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, and Norway.[21]

Released by Russia and Belarus

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AP News listed the following individuals:[19]

  • Lilia Chanysheva, former regional coordinator of Navalny Headquarters in Ufa
  • Ksenia Fadeeva, former regional coordinator of Navalny Headquarters in Tomsk
  • Evan Gershkovich, US journalist
  • Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian-British national and Russian opposition politician
  • Rico Krieger, German Red Cross employee, convicted of terrorism charges and sentenced to death[22]
  • Alsu Kurmasheva, Russian-US journalist
  • Kevin Lick, Russian-German high school student, accused of sending photos of a military unit to a "representative of a foreign state", sentenced to 4 years in prison on treason charges
  • Herman Moyzhes, Russian-German national, a migration lawyer arrested in May 2024 in St. Petersburg and reportedly accused of treason[19]
  • Oleg Orlov, Russian human rights activist sentenced to 2½ years in prison
  • Vadim Ostanin, former regional coordinator of Navalny Headquarters in Barnaul
  • Andrei Pivovarov, former head of the opposition group Open Russia
  • Patrick Schoebel, German national arrested in 2024 for possession of cannabis, faced with drug-smuggling charges
  • Alexandra (Sasha) Skochilenko, Russian author, sentenced to 7 years in prison for "spreading false information about the Russian military"
  • Demuri Voronin, Russian-German political scientist convicted of treason in 2023
  • Paul Whelan, US security executive and former Marine, sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020 on espionage charges
  • Ilya Yashin, Russian opposition politician, sentenced to 8½ years in prison in 2022 for "spreading false information about the Russian military"

Russian citizens released by Western countries

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  • Artem and Anna Dultsev, arrested in Ljubljana, Slovenia, sentenced to 19 months in prison for espionage charges
  • Pablo González Yagüe, Spanish-Russian journalist arrested in Poland in 2022 on espionage charges but not brought to trial
  • Vladislav Klyushin, sentenced to 9 years in prison in the US for securities fraud in 2023
  • Vadim Konoshchenock, suspected officer in Russian Federal Security Service, arrested in Estonia in 2022, then extradited to the US to face smuggling charges[19]
  • Vadim Krasikov, retired FSB officer, sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany for murdering Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in 2021[19]
  • Mikhail Mikushin, a research scientist arrested in Norway in 2022 on espionage charges
  • Roman Seleznev, a computer hacker arrested in the US and sentenced to 27 years in prison in 2017

Responses

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United States

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U.S. president Joe Biden delivered remarks following the exchange

In the United States, Republican representative Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs praised the exchange and stated that Russian president Vladimir Putin had a strategy of detaining individuals for negotiations.[23]

Donald Trump called the exchange "a win for Putin" and said that it "sets a very bad precedent". He also questioned if money was involved in the deal.[24][25]

News of the exchange was broken by Bloomberg prior to the plane's landing in Turkey; this was criticized by other outlets because information provided by the White House to journalists was embargoed until the individuals were successfully released.[26]

Organizations

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Reporters Without Borders stated that Gershkovich "should have never spent a single day in a Russian prison", and their director of campaigns Rebecca Vincent called his arrest "outrageous". The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom celebrated his expected release.[27] Committee to Protect Journalists chief executive Jodie Ginsberg requested the release of all detained journalists in Russia.[28]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Things to know about the largest US-Russia prisoner swap in post-Soviet history". AP News. 1 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  2. ^ "Two years, secret talks, high stakes: The long road to prisoners deal". BBC. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b Walker, Shaun (1 August 2024). "Russia frees Evan Gershkovich and others in biggest prisoner swap since cold war". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  4. ^ Hansler, Jennifer; Atwood, Kylie; Kottasová, Ivana (1 August 2024). "US and Russia carrying out massive prisoner swap, including number of Americans, official says". CNN. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  5. ^ Farhi, Arden; Gazis, Olivia; Schick, Camilla (1 August 2024). "U.S., Russia prisoner swap secures release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and others". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  6. ^ Osborn, Andrew; Lebedev, Filipp; Papachristou, Lucy (1 August 2024). "Americans Gershkovich and Whelan included in a big prisoner swap, Turkey says". Reuters. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b Yilek, Caitlin (1 August 2024). "U.S., Russia prisoner swap is the latest in a long history of exchanges between the world powers". CBS New York. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  8. ^ "Russia's State Duma unanimously votes to bar 'foreign agents' from running for office". Novaya Gazeta Europe. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  9. ^ "The post-soviet space as the sphere of influence of Russia: 'Compelling to friendship' mission". Geopolitica.info. 25 February 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  10. ^ Cooley, Alexander (30 June 2017). "Whose Rules, Whose Sphere? Russian Governance and Influence in Post-Soviet States". Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  11. ^ Hopkins, Valerie (22 June 2023). "Belarus Is Fast Becoming a 'Vassal State' of Russia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Belarus, exile country for Wagner mercenaries and Russia's satellite". 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  13. ^ Hudson, John (1 August 2024). "Harris urged German, Slovenian leaders to help secure prisoner swap". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  14. ^ Yaffa, Joshua (1 August 2024). "Evan Gershkovich Is Finally Coming Home". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  15. ^ a b Hinshaw, Drew; Parkinson, Joe; Viswanatha, Aruna (1 August 2024). "WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Is Free". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  16. ^ Perez, Evan (1 August 2024). "3 Russians serving sentences for federal crimes were transferred to US Marshals". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  17. ^ Tuysuz, Gul (1 August 2024). "Turkey says it played mediator role in prisoner swap involving people from 7 countries". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Who has been released in the massive prisoner exchange". CNN. 1 August 2024. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  19. ^ a b c d e Litvinova, Dasha (1 August 2024). "Who's in the massive prisoner swap between Russia and the West?". Associated Press. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  20. ^ Mackinnon, Amy; Gramer, Robbie (1 August 2024). "U.S. and Russia Conduct Largest Prisoner Swap Since Cold War". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  21. ^ "Russia prisoner swap | Ilya Yashin: Prominent Russian opposition leader and Kremlin critic released". The Indian Express. 1 August 2024. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  22. ^ Kappeler, Inke; Vlasova (20 July 2024). "German citizen sentenced to death in Belarus, charged with terrorism, mercenary activities". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  23. ^ Edmondson, Catie (1 August 2024). "Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas and the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement: "If these reports are true, I am thrilled Evan, Paul, Alsu, Vladimir, and many others who have been illegally held by Putin's regime are finally coming home to their families."". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  24. ^ Hanrahan, Tim (2 August 2024). "Freed WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich Is Back on U.S. Soil". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  25. ^ Pereira, Ivan (2 August 2024). "Trump lashes out at Biden over historic prisoner exchange that freed Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  26. ^ Klein, Charlotte (2 August 2024). "Everybody Is Mad at Bloomberg for Its Embargo-Breaking Gershkovich Scoop". Intelligencer. Archived from the original on 2 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  27. ^ Radford, Antoninette; Passantino, Jon (1 August 2024). ""Press freedom is a fundamental right": Media non-profits celebrate Gershkovich's expected release". CNN. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  28. ^ Robertson, Katie (1 August 2024). "Jodie Ginsberg, the chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists, called on Russia to release all jailed journalists and end its harassment of those in exile". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 1 August 2024.

Further reading

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