Russia releases US journalist Gershkovich
For several days, signs of a prisoner exchange between Russia and the US have been emerging. According to a report, recently sentenced US journalist Gershkovich is on his way to freedom. There's also good news for another US citizen.
According to a report by US media outlet Bloomberg, "Wall Street Journal" journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was recently sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia, is being released as part of a prisoner exchange. US Marine Paul Whelan is also said to be part of the deal. Both men are reportedly on their way to destinations outside of Russia.
The 32-year-old Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023. Russia's FSB accused him of espionage, claiming he was gathering information about the Uralvagonzavod arms factory on behalf of the CIA. The 54-year-old former US soldier Whelan, who also holds British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship, has been in Russian custody since December 2018. He was also sentenced to 16 years for alleged espionage.
The Bloomberg report also states that Kremlin critic Kara-Mursa is set to be released. He is one of the most prominent critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin and was sentenced to 25 years in prison in April 2023 for "treason" and "dissemination of false information" about the war in Ukraine.
Turkey: Multiple States Involved
Turkey's intelligence agency has stated that it is coordinating the prisoner exchange. The largest exchange since the end of the Cold War is said to be underway between Western states led by the US and Russia.
In recent days, speculation has grown that there could be a larger prisoner exchange involving Germany and Belarus. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko recently pardoned the German national Rico Krieger, who was sentenced to death. The indications of an exchange intensified after activists reported the transfer of at least seven political prisoners.
Russia, in turn, has reportedly been trying for years to secure the release of the so-called Tiergarten murderer. The Russian intelligence officer was convicted by the Berlin Regional Court in August 2019 of killing a Georgian man of Chechen origin in the "Kleiner Tiergarten" park in Berlin on behalf of the Russian state.
The European Union, as one of the Western states involved, has expressed its support for the prisoner exchange between Russia and other countries, hoping for a resolution in the cases of their citizens like Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan.
The prisoner exchange negotiations, led by Turkey's intelligence agency, also involve Germany and Belarus, raising hopes for the release of German national Rico Krieger, who is currently in Belarusian custody.
