Prisoner swap underway between Russia and West

US President Joe Biden has made a statement on the prisoner swap with Russia, hailing the diplomatic effort it took to secure the releases.

"Today, three American citizens and one American green card holder who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home: Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza."

"The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy."

Biden said the real had secured the release of 16 people from Russia—including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country.

"Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty," said Biden. "Today, their agony is over."

"I am grateful to our allies who stood with us throughout tough, complex negotiations to achieve this outcome— including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey. This is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon. Our alliances make Americans safer."

The United States has confirmed that it and four allies reached a deal with Russia for one of the largest prisoner exchanges since the end of the Cold War. 

The swap includes the release of 16 people, including US journalist Evan Gershkovich, and former US Marine and security analyst Paul Whelan, the White House said on Thursday.

The Biden administration negotiated the exchange with Russia and several other countries. The Western allies agreed to send eight prisoners held in the West back to Russia, including Vadim Krasikov who was in prison in Germany. 

The deal, negotiated in secret for more than a year, is likely to be presented by the Biden administration as a major foreign policy success as the US presidential race enters its final months.

The Kremlin has said it hopes those individuals who have now left Russia, whom it described as "enemies," would stay away, the state-run TASS news agency reported.

The comments appeared to be an oblique reference to the prisoner swap being conducted by Turkey.

"I believe that all our enemies should stay there [abroad], and all those who are not our enemies should return. That's my point of view," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 

Peskov did not comment directly on the swap, although TASS quoted him saying he hoped to speak about it later on Thursday.

The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomed the release of the jailed journalists as part of the prisoner swap, but added it does not change the fact that Russia continues to suppress a free press.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) editor Alsu Kurmasheva are said to be part of the exchange deal between Russia and the West.

"They were detained and sentenced on spurious charges intended to punish them for their journalism and stifle independent reporting," Jodie Ginsberg, the chief executive of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said.

"Moscow needs to release all jailed journalists and end its campaign of using in absentia arrest warrants and sentences against exiled Russian journalists," she added. 

Among those said by Turkish intelligence to involved in the deal is the German citizen Rico K., who had been sentenced to death in Belarus.

The 30-year-old had been shown on Belarusian public television last week asking leader Alexander Lukashenko to be pardoned. 

He had been found guilty of six articles in the Belarusian Criminal Code: mercenary activity, espionage, being part of an extremist organization, destruction of a vehicle, illegal handling of weapons, explosives and ammunition and terrorism.

Lukashenko pardoned K. on Tuesday after "taking into account all the circumstances," the Belarusian leader's press service said.

Meanwhile, Vadim Krasikov, a Russian who was jailed in Germany for assassinating a former Chechen rebel commander, has also been released as part of the prisoner swap, according to Turkey. 

A German court has said the 2019 killing, in a Berlin park, was an assassination ordered by the Russian state. The Bellingcat investigative outlet has reported that Krasikov was working for Russia's FSB security service.

Turkish intelligence, MIT, said the The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and US Marine Paul Whelan who were imprisoned in Russia have been released in a prisoner exchange on Thursday. 

The MIT said the deal involved the exchange of high-profile figures "sought by all parties for a long period."

This list also included Germany's Rico K. who was held in Belarus on "terrorism" charges, and Russian dissident Ilya Yashin, and FSB colonel Vadim Krasikov who were jailed in Germany.

Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) said it was conducting the biggest prisoner exchange operation of recent times in Ankara. 

It said the deal involved the exchange of 26 individuals from the prisons of seven different countries — the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus).

The prisoners were transported to Turkey by a total of 7 aircraft, including 2 from the United States and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Russia, as part of the operation, according to a MIT statement. 

Ten prisoners, including two minors, were relocated to Russia, with 13 prisoners headed to Germany, and three prisoners to the United States.

"This operation has been recorded in history as the most extensive prisoner exchange between the United States, Russia, and Germany in recent years," said MIT.

The Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) has announced that it is coordinating an extensive prisoner exchange.

"A [prisoner] exchange operation will take place today under the coordination of our organization," MIT said in a statement.

"Our organization has undertaken a major mediation role in this exchange operation, which is the most comprehensive of the recent period."

Shortly afterward, a Russian government plane arrived in the Turkish capital Ankara on Thursday, a witness told the Reuters news agency.

It was not immediately clear who was on board the plane, which arrived after signs of a major prisoner exchange involving Russia and Belarus on one side and the United States, Germany and Slovenia on the other.

Included was Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, ex-US Marine Paul Whelan and several other Americans as part of a prisoner swap deal, according to Turkish officials who are coordinating. 

Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison in Russia in July on espionage charges. Gershkovich is 32 years old and was first taken into Russian custody in March 2023. 

Paul Whelan, who also holds UK, Irish, and Canadian nationality, has been in prison in Russia since 2018 on spying charges. The 54-year-old was in Russia that year to attend a friend's wedding.    

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a 42-year-old dual Russian-UK national, was also said be freed as part of the deal, according to US media reports. 

Kara-Murza was imprisoned after criticizing Russian's Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, and was serving a 25 year sentence in Siberia. 

It's the third notable prisoner swap between the US and Russia in recent years. Turkey coordinated the swap. 

In December 2022, WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from Russian custody in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

In April 2022, US ex-Marine Trevor Reed was released by Russia in exchange for Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko,   

wd/wmr (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)