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Washington: The US and Russia on Thursday completed their largest prisoner exchange in post-Soviet history. Under this, Moscow released Wall Street Journal reporter Ivan Gershkovich, Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan and Vladimir Kara Murza, among others. Officials have given information about this. He said that about two dozen people imprisoned in each other’s jails would be freed under this agreement.
Talks were going on
Relations between Washington and Moscow had reached the lowest point during the Russia-Ukraine war, but despite this, secret meetings continued through the back door for the exchange of prisoners. This agreement is the result of talks between Russia and the US for the exchange of prisoners in the last two years.
America had to pay a big price
America has had to pay a big price for the release of its citizens. Russia has ensured the release of its citizens convicted of serious crimes in the West… in exchange for freeing journalists, dissidents and other Western prisoners. Under the deal, Russia released Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was arrested in 2023 and convicted in July on espionage charges. Apart from this, Michigan corporate security executive Whelan has also been released who was in jail on espionage charges since 2018.
Also know
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsou Kurmasheva, who has dual US-Russia citizenship and was convicted in July for spreading misinformation about the Russian military, has also been released under the deal. The released dissidents also include Kremlin critic and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Kara-Murza, who is serving a 25-year sentence for treason. Apart from him, those released include 11 political prisoners of Russia, including an ally of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and a German citizen arrested in Belarus.
