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A2 UP FRONT
Friday 2 august 2024
U.S. and Russia complete biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet

history, freeing Gershkovich and Whelan

From Front brought home more than 70
Americans detained in other
By ERIC TUCKER, DASHA LIT- countries, deals that have
VINOVA and MATTHEW LEE required the U.S. in the past
Associated Press to give up a broad array of
WASHINGTON (AP) — The convicted criminals, includ-
United States and Russia ing for drug and weapons
completed their biggest offenses. The U.S. govern-
prisoner swap in post-Soviet ment's top hostage nego-
history on Thursday, with tiator, Roger Carstens, has
Moscow releasing journalist defended the swaps against
Evan Gershkovich and fel- criticism that they incentivize
low American Paul Whelan, future hostage-taking, saying
along with dissidents includ- the number of wrongfully de-
ing Vladimir Kara-Murza, in tained Americans has actu-
a multinational deal that set ally gone down.
two dozen people free. "We know the U.S. govern-
The trade unfolded despite ment is keenly aware, as are
relations between Washing- we, that the only way to pre-
ton and Moscow being at vent a quickening cycle of
their lowest point since the arresting innocent people as
Cold War after Russian Presi- pawns in cynical geopoliti-
dent Vladimir Putin's Febru- cal games is to remove the
ary 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In this image made from video provided by Russian Federal Security Service via RTR on Thursday, incentive for Russia and other
Negotiators in backchannel Aug. 1, 2024, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich sits inside an airplane at an airport nations that pursue the same
outside Moscow, Russia.
talks at one point explored Associated Press detestable practice," Tucker,
an exchange involving Rus- the Journal's editor, wrote,
sian opposition leader Alexei The paper's editor-in-chief, Krasikov, who was convicted land also sent back a man saying there needed to be
Navalny but after his death in Emma Tucker, called it a in Germany in 2021 and sen- it detained on espionage a dynamic change.
February ultimately stitched "joyous day." "While we tenced to life in prison for kill- charges. "Today is a power- "But for now," she added, "we
together a seven-nation, waited for this momentous ing a former Chechen rebel ful example of why it's vital are celebrating the return of
24-person deal that required day, we were determined in a Berlin park two years ear- to have friends in this world," Evan."
significant concessions from to be as loud as we could lier, apparently on the orders Biden said while joined by Thursday's swap of 24 prison-
European allies, including the be on Evan's behalf. We are of Moscow's security services. the families. ers surpassed a deal involv-
release of a Russian assassin, so grateful for all the voices Throughout the course of All told, seven nations par- ing 14 people that was struck
and secured freedom for a that were raised when his negotiations, Moscow had ticipated in the deal, which in 2010. In that exchange,
cluster of journalists, suspect- was silent. We can finally say, been persistent in pressing for was executed in Ankara in Washington freed 10 Russians
ed spies, political prisoners in unison, 'Welcome home, his release, with Putin himself the final months of his ad- living in the U.S. as sleepers,
and others. Evan,'" she wrote. raising it. ministration and during the while Moscow deported four
President Joe Biden trumpet- Also released was Whelan, a At the time of Navalny's course of a presidential race Russians, including Sergei Skri-
ed the exchange, by far the Michigan corporate security death, officials were dis- upended by his decision not pal, a double agent work-
biggest in a series of swaps executive jailed since 2018, cussing a possible exchange to seek reelection. ing with British intelligence.
with Russia, as a diplomatic also on espionage charges involving Krasikov. But with Biden placed securing the He and his daughter in 2018
feat while welcoming fami- he and Washington have that possibility erased, senior release of Americans held were nearly killed in Britain
lies of the returning Ameri- denied; and Radio Free Eu- U.S. officials, including na- wrongfully overseas at the by nerve agent poisoning
cans to the White House. But rope/Radio Liberty journal- tional security adviser Jake top of his foreign policy blamed on Russian agents.
the deal, like others before ist Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual Sullivan, made a fresh push agenda for the six months Speculation had mounted
it, reflected an innate im- U.S.-Russian citizen convicted to encourage Germany to before he leaves office. In for weeks that a swap was
balance: The U.S. and allies in July of spreading false release Krasikov. In the end, an Oval Office address dis- near because of a conflu-
gave up Russians charged or information about the Rus- a handful of the prisoners cussing his decision to drop ence of unusual develop-
convicted of serious crimes sian military, accusations her Russia released were either his bid for a second term, ments, including a startingly
in exchange for Russia re- family and employer have German nationals or dual Biden said, "We're also work- quick trial and conviction for
leasing journalists, dissidents rejected. German-Russian nationals. ing around the clock to bring Gershkovich, which Washing-
and others imprisoned by the The dissidents released in- Russia also received two al- home Americans being un- ton regarded as a sham. He
country's highly politicized le- cluded Kara-Murza, a Krem- leged sleeper agents who justly detained all around the was sentenced to 16 years in
gal system on charges seen lin critic and Pulitzer Prize-win- were jailed in Slovenia, as world." a maximum-security prison.
by the West as trumped-up. ning writer serving 25 years well as three men charged At one point Thursday, he In a trial that concluded in
"Deals like this one come with on charges of treason widely by federal authorities in grabbed the hand of Whel- two days in secrecy in the
tough calls," Biden said but seen as politically motivated, the U.S., including Roman an's sister, Elizabeth, and same week as Gershkovich's,
added: "There's nothing that and multiple associates of Seleznev, a convicted said she'd practically been Kurmasheva was convicted
matters more to me than Navalny. Other freed Krem- computer hacker and the living at the White House as on charges of spreading
protecting Americans at lin critics included Oleg Or- son of a Russian lawmaker, they tried to free Paul. He false information about the
home and abroad." lov, a veteran human rights and Vadim Konoshchenok, then motioned for Kurma- Russian military that her fam-
Under the deal, Russia re- campaigner convicted of a suspected Russian intelli- sheva's daughter Miriam ily, employer and U.S. officials
leased Gershkovich, a re- discrediting the Russian mili- gence operative accused to come closer and took rejected. Also in recent days,
porter for The Wall Street tary, and Ilya Yashin, a former of providing American-made her hand, telling the room it several other figures impris-
Journal who was jailed in member of a Moscow mu- electronics and ammunition was her 13th birthday, and oned in Russia for speaking
2023 and convicted in July nicipal council who'd been to the Russian military. Nor- then asked everyone to sing out against the war in Ukraine
of espionage charges that imprisoned for criticizing the way returned an academic Happy Birthday with him. She or over their work with Naval-
he and the U.S. govern- war in Ukraine. arrested on suspicions of be- wiped tears from her eyes. ny were moved from prison
ment vehemently denied. The Russian side got Vadim ing a Russian spy, and Po- His administration has now to unknown locations.q