Moscow/Washington: On August 1, 2024, Russia released Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan as part of a significant prisoner swap with the United States, according to media reports citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
Both Gershkovich and Whelan had been detained in Russia on espionage charges, which they, along with the US government, have denied.
The prisoners were transported to Turkey’s capital, Ankara, from Russia, with the deal facilitated by the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Belarus, as confirmed by the Turkish presidency.
“Eight Russian citizens who were detained and imprisoned in a series of NATO countries were returned home,” stated the FSB, according to Russia’s state-run news agencies.
The FSB further commented: “The Russians were exchanged for a group of people who were acting in the interests of foreign states to the detriment of the security of the Russian Federation.”
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Russia Prisoner Exchange: Western Perspective
As part of the agreement, the US and its allies returned prisoners held in their custody to Russia. The Kremlin also released dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza as part of the deal. Kara-Murza, a 42-year-old activist with dual Russian-British citizenship, had campaigned against Vladimir Putin’s regime and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2023 on treason charges.
Washington and other Western capitals had been engaged in prolonged negotiations with Moscow for the release of Gershkovich and Whelan. Both individuals have been classified as wrongfully detained by the US State Department.
The exchange involved 10 Russians, including two minors, who were swapped for 16 Westerners and Russians held in Russia, according to a statement from the Turkish presidency.
This marks the first major prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since December 2022, when US basketball player Brittney Griner was released in exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
