- Spectacular prisoner exchange between Moscow and the West
Russia and several Western countries have participated in a large-scale prisoner exchange, freeing 26 men and women. In return for the handover of the so-called "Tiergarten murderer" from Germany and nine others previously detained in the USA, Norway, Poland, and Slovenia, 16 Western citizens and Russian opposition figures were released, as announced by the Turkish intelligence agency MIT.
Among those released by Russia and its ally Belarus were five Germans, three US citizens, one person with a US work and residence permit (Green Card), and seven Russians, according to a statement from the White House in Washington. The exchange took place at Ankara's airport, according to MIT. Among the released Russians were prominent Kremlin critics such as Vladimir Kara-Mursa and Ilya Yashin.
German Rico K. Part of the Deal
One of the Germans is Rico K., who was first sentenced to death in Belarus for alleged involvement in a bomb attack and later pardoned. Russia handed over to the USA, among others, the "Wall Street Journal" correspondent Evan Gershkovich, convicted of espionage, and former soldier Paul Whelan.
"The release was only possible by deporting Russian citizens with intelligence backgrounds who were in custody in Europe and handing them over to Russia," said German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit.
Intelligence calls it a historic operation
According to MIT reports, those involved were previously flown to Ankara from various countries. All were initially taken to safe locations and medically examined, with documents signed. Subsequently, ten exchanged prisoners were flown to Russia, 13 to Germany, and three to the USA, it was reported. The intelligence service called it a historic prisoner exchange and the most extensive between Russia, the USA, and Germany in recent times.
Among the four Germans imprisoned in Russia who were released in the exchange were Patrick S., who stood trial in St. Petersburg for possession of cannabis gummies, and 19-year-old Kevin L. and political scientist Dieter W., both convicted of treason, and activist German M., who was charged with treason.
Information about the exchange had been building up for days. There had been reports of the transfer of numerous political prisoners in Russia to unknown locations, including the former leaders of the regional offices of the late Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Information about a large international deal had been increasing since Wednesday evening.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has been criticized for using political prisoners as hostages to free Russians from Western prisons, had repeatedly expressed his willingness to make an exchange. Putin had a particular interest in the "Tiergarten murderer" imprisoned in Germany.
Various events in recent days suggested movement in the matter: Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia just under two weeks ago after a brief trial for alleged espionage. On the same day, a Russian court sentenced US journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was also released, to six and a half years in a labor colony for allegedly false reporting on the army.
Observers in Moscow interpreted the swift conviction of Gershkovich as a possible sign that an agreement on a prisoner exchange could be imminent. In general, a verdict must be issued under Russian judicial practice before an exchange can take place.
Death Sentence Against German Recently Overturned
On the same day that the two US journalists were sentenced, it was made public that in Russia's allied neighbor, Belarus, a German named Rico K. had been sentenced to death. Just a few days ago, strongman Alexander Lukashenko overturned the verdict after the German was shown on Belarusian state television in a video confessing to his crime and begging for mercy. Speculation had also arisen that a prisoner exchange for the "Tiergarten murderer" Vadim K. might have been negotiated behind the scenes.
The "Tiergarten Murderer" Was Last Imprisoned in Offenburg
K. had murdered a Georgian in the Berlin park, the Kleiner Tiergarten, in 2019. The Berlin Chamber Court sentenced him to life imprisonment in 2021. His victim, according to the verdict, had been in the sights of the Russian Federation for years because he had led a militia against Russia during the Second Chechen War. Russian authorities had classified him as a Chechen terrorist.
There had been speculation for some time that Putin wanted to secure K.'s release through a prisoner exchange. Most recently, he had virtually confirmed this in an interview with US talk show host Tucker Carlson. Vadim K., who had been moved multiple times for security reasons, was last imprisoned in Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg, according to dpa information.
The decision to release Vadim K. was not made by the competent General Prosecutor Jens Rommel, but by the Federal Ministry of Justice. A spokesperson for the ministry stated upon request that while the General Prosecutor is generally responsible for suspending the enforcement of sentences, the Federal Ministry of Justice had instructed him in writing on the previous Monday to suspend this enforcement to facilitate a prisoner exchange.
The exchange of prisoners included five German citizens, among them Rico K., who was previously sentenced to death in Belarus for alleged involvement in a bomb attack and later pardoned. Several women, including prominent Kremlin critics like Vladimir Kara-Mursa and Ilya Yashin, were also released by Russia.
