President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that two Americans, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, have been released from Russian custody as part of a historic prisoner swap. Gershkovich and Whelan were returned to U.S. custody after spending 16 months and over 5 1/2 years, respectively, in Russian prisons.
The prisoner swap, which included the exchange of 26 individuals, involved extensive coordination among seven countries: Russia, the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Belarus.
The operation was conducted with the assistance of Turkish authorities, who facilitated the transfer of prisoners via multiple flights to and from Turkey, according to news reports.
Gershkovich’s arrest and conviction
Gershkovich, convicted of espionage last month, had been detained in Russia since March 2023. The charges against him, which he and the U.S. government have denied, stemmed from allegations that he was gathering intelligence on behalf of the CIA.
Gershkovich was the first American journalist to be arrested on espionage charges in Russia since the Cold War.
Paul Whelan charged with espionage charges
Paul Whelan, who was arrested in December 2018 while attending a wedding in Moscow, was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years on espionage charges he also claims were fabricated.
Whelan’s release follows years of advocacy by his family and pressure on the Biden administration to secure his return.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul expressed concerns about the broader implications of the swap. “Continuing to trade innocent Americans for actual Russian criminals held in the U.S. and elsewhere sends a dangerous message to Putin that only encourages further hostage-taking by his regime,” McCaul said in a statement.
The swap has been described as a significant diplomatic achievement but has also sparked debate over the practice of exchanging prisoners with nations accused of holding individuals unjustly. The operation involved relocating 10 prisoners to Russia, 12 to Germany, and four to the U.S. Among those returned to Russia was Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian hitman.
The prisoner swap comes amid ongoing tensions between Washington and Moscow, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The swap followed years of secretive negotiations and has raised questions about future diplomatic strategies and prisoner exchange practices.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) celebrated the return of Gershkovich and Whelan, calling it “tremendous news” and marking a significant moment for their families and the U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) echoed the sentiment, expressing relief that “an innocent man is free.”
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