Key Points
- The deal included 16 prisoners moving from Russia to the West and eight held in the West being sent back to Russia.
- Many of those freed had worked with Alexei Navalny, Russia’s leading opposition figure, who died in unclear circumstances in February.
- The Kremlin said Russia’s decision to pardon and free prisoners had been made to bring Russian captives home.
The White House said the US had negotiated the trade with Russia, Germany and three other countries.
US Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was one of the prisoners released in the swap. Source: AP / Russian Federal Security Service via RTR
Also involved in the swap were Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Belarus. Türkiye coordinated the exchange
Who are the other released prisoners?
Seleznev, the son of a Russian MP, was convicted in the US in 2017 of hacking into more than 500 businesses and stealing millions of credit card numbers.
Vladimir Putin greeted the Russian citizens at Moscow airport after they were released as part of the prisoner swap. Source: EPA / Mikhail Voskresenskiy / Sputnik / Kremlin Pool
Businessman Klyushin was convicted in Boston in 2023 of charges including wire fraud and securities fraud in a nearly US$100 million ($154 million) scheme that relied on secret earnings information stolen via hacking US computer networks.
Konoshchenok was extradited to the US from Estonia last year to face charges he smuggled ammunition and dual-use technology to help Russia’s war in Ukraine.
‘A feat of diplomacy’: Joe Biden
“This would not have been possible without our allies,” he said, adding: “Today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world.”
President Joe Biden sang Happy Birthday to released prisioner Alsu Kurmasheva’s almost 13-year-old daughter, Miriam Butorin. Source: AP / Evan Vucci
Relatives of some of the freed prisoners appeared at the White House with Biden as he announced the swap deal on Thursday. Biden also made calls to other family members who could not travel to Washington.
“After the completion of the ratification procedures of the parties, the health checks … the prisoners were placed on the planes of the countries to which they would be travelling with the approval and instructions of the MIT,” the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) of Türkiye said in a statement.
What has Russia said?
Russian President Vladimir Putin himself had indicated he wanted Krasikov back and the German government, commenting on the swap deal, said it was “not an easy decision” to free him.
“Let the traitors now feverishly pick up new names and actively disguise themselves under witness protection programmes,” he wrote.