The White House confirmed on Thursday that Russia, the United States and several other countries engaged in a multi-country, 24-prisoner exchange — the largest of its kind since the Cold War.
President Joe Biden said that three American citizens and one green card holder detained in Russian prisons were released in the prisoner swap, sharing in a statement that the four “unjustly imprisoned” people released Thursday included: U.S. Marine Paul Whelan; Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich; Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva; and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian journalist with British citizenship who also holds an American green card.
- Gershkovich, 32, was arrested by Russian authorities in March 2023 for espionage, a charge he and U.S. officials denied. Biden has said that Gershkovich was targeted for being a journalist and an American; after a trial, Gershkovich was found guilty and sentenced to 16 years in a high-security penal colony.
- Whelan, who holds U.S., British, Irish and Canadian citizenship, was arrested in December 2018 while traveling on an American passport in Russia and also accused of espionage. He was convicted on the charges in June 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison, ultimately serving five.
- Kurmasheva, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Russia, was arrested by Russian authorities in 2023 for failing to register as a foreign agent.
- Kara-Muza was serving a 25-year sentence for criticism of the war in Ukraine.
Biden said: “Today, we celebrate the return of Paul, Evan, Alsu and Vladimir and rejoice with their families. We remember all those still wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world. And reaffirm our pledge to their families: We see you. We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong.” Biden added during a news conference that he was grateful to U.S. allies including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey for their support, and said of the released Americans that ‘their brutal ordeal is over and they’re free’.
The deal included the release of a total of 16 people from Russia including five Germans and seven Russian citizens held as political prisoners along with Gershkovich, Whelan, Kurmasheve and Kara-Murza. Said Biden: “some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over. This is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon. Our alliances make Americans safer.”
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan were on their way back to the U.S., Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Planes believed to be carrying the freed prisoners were seen on arrival at Turkey’s Ankara Airport, according to The Associated Press.
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