Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan released in ‘historic’ US-Russia prisoner swap
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Reporter Evan Gershkovich and American soldier Paul Whelan have been set free from prison in Russia in the largest exchange of prisoners with Western countries since the Cold War ended.
Following lengthy and intricate discussions involving multiple nations, the Kremlin has finally set free British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who is 42 years old and a strong opponent of Russian president Vladimir Putin. Kara-Murza had been imprisoned in April 2023 for 25 years on various charges, including treason, after publicly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This sentence stands as the longest ever given to a critic of the Kremlin since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Also included in the group are Alsu Kurmasheva, a writer for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty which is funded by the US government. She was found guilty of breaking a Russian law that targets international journalists, requiring them to declare themselves as foreign agents. Another member is Aleksandra Skochilenko, an artist and writer who is against war. She was convicted last fall for spreading false information about the Russian military. Ilya Yashin, a political dissident, was given a sentence of eight and a half years for speaking out against the invasion of Ukraine. Two former employees of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny are also part of the list, along with Kevin Lik, a Russian-German citizen who, at 19 years old, is the youngest person ever convicted of treason in Russia.
Gershkovich was taken into custody in March 2023 while working as a reporter in Yekaterinburg. He was given a 16-year prison sentence for espionage in a trial held privately last month. Despite pleading not guilty, many countries have criticized the charges as unfounded. His arrest is part of Putin's efforts to silence opposition following the conflict in Ukraine in 2022, leading to strained relations between Russia and Western nations.
The recent exchange of prisoners in Turkey was the result of extensive discussions involving the United States, Russia, Germany, and other nations, with US President Joe Biden and his national security advisers taking the lead. This negotiation was successful in leveraging Putin's interest in bringing back Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin detained in Germany since 2019 for the killing of a Chechen dissident in Berlin.
In the White House's state dining room, President Biden stood with the families of Whelan, Kurmasheva, Gershkovich, and Kara-Murza. He remarked that it was a positive afternoon as all four individuals were now free and on their way home. Biden mentioned that the families had just spoken with their loved ones in the Oval Office moments earlier.
"They have left Russia. Earlier today, they were transported to Turkey, and soon they will be departing for their homes to reunite with their families. This is a tremendous relief for all the loved ones gathered here. It brings relief to the friends and coworkers across the nation who have been hoping for this day to arrive for a while," stated Biden.
The president described the agreement as a remarkable achievement in both diplomacy and camaraderie.
"We couldn't have done this without the help of our friends from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey. They really came through for us, making courageous decisions to release prisoners and offering logistical support to bring our people home. This deal shows the importance of having reliable friends in times of need, especially for important and delicate situations like this one," he commented.
The government of Germany stated that it was a difficult choice to free the hired killer - Krasikov holds the rank of colonel in the FSB security service - in return for releasing German national Rico Krieger, who had been condemned to death in Belarus but was later pardoned by President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Independent has already written about how Kara-Murza's wife, Evgenia, asked the UK and other countries to help her husband. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "I'm glad that Russia has released some prisoners, like Vladimir Kara-Murza, Paul Whelan, and Evan Gershkovich. We will keep pushing Russia to support political freedom."
The White House announced that eight prisoners from the West are being returned to Russia in a prisoner exchange.
Biden mentioned that he plans to go to Joint Base Andrews to greet the freed prisoners soon. When asked by The Independent about how he could stop the pattern of Russia taking and holding Americans to negotiate the release of detained Russians, Biden advised Americans to avoid certain locations because of the risks involved.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan informed the press that the Biden administration realized that Russia would not release Whelan, Gershkovich, or Kurmasheva without first securing the release of Krasikov. Sullivan mentioned that both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had personally spoken to German chancellor Olaf Scholz to persuade him to agree to release Krasikov in exchange for the Americans held by Russia, as well as other political prisoners. Sullivan also mentioned how Biden had spoken to his Slovenian counterpart to urge for the release of two Russian spies just before announcing that he would not seek re-election.
Paul Whelan, a man from Michigan, served in the US Marine Corps and worked in corporate security. He was in Russia in 2018 when he was taken into custody at a hotel in Moscow. Whelan was given a 16-year prison term in 2020 for spying, but he insists he did nothing wrong.
In 2022, there was a prisoner exchange between Russia and the US. US basketball player Brittney Griner was traded for Viktor Bout, a well-known arms dealer. The last big swap between the two countries was in 2010, when 14 prisoners were traded.
A lot of the people released from prison had previously worked with Navalny, a prominent opponent of the Russian government. Navalny was reported to have died in a penal colony in the Arctic region where he was being held on multiple charges. Many countries accused Putin of being responsible for his death. It was thought that Navalny would be included in a prisoner exchange before he passed away. Yulia Navalnaya, Navalny's widow who has pledged to carry on his work, celebrated the release of the prisoners as a joyous event.
"Every political prisoner who is set free brings us great happiness and is a significant victory. No one should be kept captive by Putin, subjected to torture, or die while in Putin's custody," she stated on X.
Yevgenia Chirikova, a Russian activist who is living outside of her home country due to political persecution, is feeling conflicted about the prisoner exchange. Even though she has been targeted by the Russian government with multiple legal cases, she can't help but have mixed feelings about the situation.
"I am thrilled that my friends have finally been released! This is a wonderful moment for us, as we stand against the Putin government," she said in an interview with The Independent.
I understand that with the release of the assassin Krasikov, the risk of myself and my loved ones being targeted by a Putin-hired hitman has heightened. However, I am not deterred. I am committed to supporting Ukraine in their fight for freedom, as I believe this is the path to ultimately freeing Russia from Putin's tyrannical rule.
