Numerous foreigners and Russian political prisoners released as Germany frees hitman Vadim Krasikov as part of exchange
reporter Evan Gershkovich has been freed from Russian custody as part of a major exchange that also involved the freeing of several other foreign citizens held in Russia and numerous Russian political prisoners.
Additionally, deep-cover Russian “illegal” spies arrested in Norway and Slovenia were swapped, along with Russians held on criminal charges in US jails. Two minors were also returned toHazy video footage showed a Russian government plane landing at the airport in the Turkish capital before the swap.
Many observers have linked the initial Gershkovich arrest to a Russian policy that amounts to hostage-taking, with a view to increasing pressure on western countries to release Russian spies, hackers and assassins.Putin has long made it clear that Krasikov was his No 1 target, which hampered US efforts to free its own prisoners, as Germany was reluctant to give up a prisoner serving time for murder to facilitate a US deal.
Several Russian political prisoners were freed in the swap, including Yashin, one of Russia’s most prominent opposition leaders, who was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in late 2022 for denouncing Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Vladimir Kara-Murza, a dual Russian-British citizen and longstanding opposition voice, who was sentenced to 25 years for high treason, has also been released.after a closed and murky trial on charges of terrorism, was released as part of the deal.
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