Massive prisoner swap frees US reporter Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, Turkish officials say

Eric Tucker, Dasha Litvinova and Matthew Lee, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia completed their biggest captive switch successful post-Soviet history connected Thursday, pinch Moscow releasing journalist Evan Gershkovich and chap American Paul Whelan successful a multinational woody that group immoderate 2 twelve group free, according to officials successful Turkey, wherever nan speech took place.

The waste and acquisition followed years of secretive back-channel negotiations contempt relations betwixt Washington and Moscow being astatine their lowest constituent since nan Cold War aft Russian President Vladimir Putin’s February 2022 penetration of Ukraine.

The sprawling deal, nan latest successful a bid of captive swaps negotiated betwixt Russia and nan U.S. successful nan past 2 years but nan first to require important concessions from different countries. But nan merchandise of Americans has travel astatine a price: Russia has secured nan state of its ain nationals convicted of superior crimes successful nan West by trading them for journalists, dissidents and different Westerners convicted and sentenced successful a highly politicized ineligible strategy connected charges nan U.S. considers bogus.

In a connection posted online, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus acknowledged media reports that a journalist moving for nan broadcaster, Alsu Kurmasheva, would beryllium released arsenic portion of nan deal.

Capus said nan broadcaster welcomed ’’news of Alsu’s imminent merchandise and are grateful to nan American authorities and each who worked tirelessly to extremity her cruel curen by Russia.” Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen, was convicted successful July of spreading mendacious accusation astir nan Russian military, accusations her family and employer person rejected.

The woody would beryllium nan latest speech successful nan past 2 years betwixt Washington and Moscow, including a December 2022 waste and acquisition that brought WNBA prima Brittney Griner backmost to nan U.S. successful speech for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout and a switch earlier that twelvemonth of Marine seasoned Trevor Reed for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian aviator convicted successful a supplier trafficking conspiracy.

President Joe Biden placed securing nan merchandise of Americans held wrongfully overseas astatine nan apical of his overseas argumentation schedule for nan six months earlier he leaves office. In his Oval Office reside to nan American group discussing his caller determination to driblet his bid for a 2nd term, nan Democrat said, “We’re besides moving astir nan timepiece to bring location Americans being unjustly detained each astir nan world.”
Russia has agelong been willing successful getting backmost Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted successful Germany successful 2021 of sidesplitting a erstwhile Chechen rebel successful a Berlin parkland 2 years earlier, apparently connected nan orders of Moscow’s information services.

Speculation had mounted for weeks that a switch was adjacent because of a confluence of different developments, including a startingly speedy proceedings and condemnation for Gershkovich that Washington regarded arsenic a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years successful a maximum-security prison.

Also successful caller days, respective different figures imprisoned successful Russia for speaking retired against nan warfare successful Ukraine aliases complete their activity pinch nan precocious Russian guidance leader Alexei Navalny were moved from situation to chartless locations.

Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while connected a reporting travel to nan Ural Mountains metropolis of Yekaterinburg. Authorities claimed, without offering immoderate evidence, that he was gathering concealed accusation for nan U.S. The boy of Soviet emigres who settled successful New Jersey, he moved to nan state successful 2017 to activity for The Moscow Times newspaper earlier being hired by nan Journal successful 2022.

He had much than a twelve closed hearings complete nan hold of his pretrial detention aliases appeals for his release. He was taken to nan courthouse successful handcuffs and appeared successful nan defendants’ cage, often smiling for nan galore cameras.

U.S. officials past twelvemonth made an connection to switch Gershkovich that was rejected by Russia, and Biden’s Democratic management had not made nationalist immoderate imaginable deals since then.

Gershkovich was designated arsenic wrongfully detained, arsenic was Whelan, who was detained successful December 2018 aft walking to Russia for a wedding. Whelan was convicted of espionage charges, which he and nan U.S. person besides said were mendacious and trumped up, and he is serving a 16-year situation sentence.

Whelan had been excluded from anterior high-profile deals involving Russia, including those involving Reed and Griner.