Who’s who in the prisoner swap that has freed Evan Gershkovich from Russian prison : NPR

Three U.S. residents and one authorized everlasting resident will probably be returning dwelling from Russia as a part of a large prisoner swap that is without doubt one of the largest of its sort because the finish of the Chilly Struggle.

The settlement introduced Thursday includes not less than 16 political prisoners who had been jailed in Russia in alternate for eight Russians held within the U.S., Germany, Norway, Poland and Slovenia.

Amongst these being freed are the American journalist Evan Gershkovich, who was detained in Russia final yr and accused of espionage, and Paul Whelan, a former Marine who has been in Russian captivity since 2018.

“A few of these ladies and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable struggling and uncertainty,” President Biden stated in a press release asserting the prisoner swap. “This can be a highly effective instance of why it’s very important to have associates on this world whom you may belief and rely on.”

Here’s what we find out about these being let go:

Evan Gershkovich

Wall Road Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass defendant’s sales space in a courtroom in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 26.

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Gershkovich is a reporter for the Wall Road Journal who was detained in Russia on March 29, 2023, whereas on project for the paper. He was detained by Russia’s Federal Safety Service within the metropolis of Yekaterinburg and accused of espionage. In July, he was sentenced to 16 years in jail.

Gershkovich — the American-born son of Soviet-era emigres to the U.S — and the Wall Road Journal have persistently denied the allegations in opposition to him. So too has the U.S. authorities, which designated Gershkovich as wrongfully detained.

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Russian opposition activist Vladimir Kara-Murza gestures whereas standing in a glass cage in a courtroom throughout announcement of the decision on enchantment on the Moscow Metropolis Courtroom in Moscow on July 31, 2023.

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Kara-Murza is a vocal critic of the Kremlin and Pulitzer Prize-winning contributor to The Washington Publish who in 2023 was sentenced to 25 years in a Russian penal colony after authorities accused him of treason and spreading “pretend” details about the Russian army.

He has lengthy spoken out in opposition to what he says is a Kremlin coverage of assassinating its political enemies, and has drawn the ire of Russian authorities for calling on Western governments to sanction Moscow for human-rights abuses.

In 2022, he gave an interview to CNN from Moscow through which he referred to as the federal government of Russian President Vladimir Putin a “regime of murderers.” Inside hours, he was beneath arrest.

Alsu Kurmasheva

Alsu Kurmasheva, an editor for the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Tatar-Bashkir service, attends a court docket listening to in Kazan, Russia, on April 1.

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Kurmasheva is a Russian-American journalist who works for the federally funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She was arrested in October and charged with spreading “false info” in regards to the Russian army beneath a legislation handed simply days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine that successfully criminalized criticism of the battle.

She was additionally charged with failing to register as a overseas agent. Final month, she was sentenced to six 1/2 years in jail after a trial that reportedly lasted simply two days. Her household, her employer and the U.S. authorities have all denied the fees in opposition to her.

Paul Whelan

Paul Whelan seems to be via a cage’s glass in a courtroom in Moscow on Jan. 22, 2019.

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Whelan is a former U.S. Marine who was arrested on Dec. 28, 2018, whereas touring to attend the marriage of a fellow Marine to a Russian lady. Russian authorities accused Whelan of espionage, and in June 2020 he was convicted after which sentenced to 16 years in jail.

He was arrested at Moscow’s upscale Metropol Resort after he was given a thumb drive from a buddy that he believed had photographs of Russian church buildings, however truly contained “state secrets and techniques,” in line with his lawyer. Whelan has maintained his innocence and the U.S. authorities has stated he was convicted on fabricated expenses.

“Russia says it caught James Bond on a spy mission,” Whelan stated throughout a memorable court docket look in 2019. “In actuality, they kidnapped Mr. Bean on vacation.”

12 German nationals may even be freed

A dozen German nationals who turned Russian political prisoners are additionally being launched. They embody:

Liliya Chanysheva, Kseniya Fadeyeva, Rico Krieger, Kevin Lick, Herman Moyzhes, Oleg Orlov, Vadim Ostanin, Andrey Pivovarov, Patrick Schoebel, Sasha Skochilenko, Dieter Voronin and Ilya Yashin.

The U.S. is releasing 3 Russians

As a part of the prisoner swap, eight Russians will probably be returning dwelling. Three will probably be launched from U.S. prisons: Vladislav Klyushin, Vadim Konoshchenok and Roman Seleznev.

Klyushin was sentenced to 9 years in jail in 2023 for what the Justice Division referred to as “an elaborate hack-to-trade” scheme that netted the Russian businessman $93 million in ill-gotten features. The DOJ stated Klyushin made these earnings off of trades that had been based mostly on confidential company intel stolen from U.S. laptop networks.

Konoshchenok, a suspected Russian intelligence operative, was extradited to the U.S. from Estonia final yr to face expenses stemming from an alleged procurement and cash laundering scheme. The Justice Division stated he was “a vital participant in a scheme to offer delicate, American-made electronics and ammunition in furtherance of Russia’s battle efforts and weapons growth.”

Seleznev has been serving a 27-year jail sentence for operating an unlimited credit-card and identity-theft operation. Federal prosecutors say his crimes led to the theft and resale of greater than 2 million bank card numbers — with losses of not less than $170 million, however probably within the billions. His victims included greater than 4,000 monetary establishments and companies world wide.

Along with these being launched from American prisons, 5 others will probably be launched from Germany, Norway, Poland and Slovenia. German authorities have agreed to launch Vadim Krasikov, a suspected Russian state murderer who was serving a life sentence for the 2019 killing in Berlin of a Georgia citizen of Chechen origin.

Norway is releasing Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin; Poland will free Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov; and Slovenian authorities will let go Anna Valerevna Dultseva and Artem Viktorovich Dultsev.