Politics Biden: Gershkovich, Whelan and others released from Russia
US citizens Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, who were sentenced to long prison terms in Russia for espionage, have been released. This is part of a larger prisoner exchange involving several countries, US President Joe Biden announced in a written statement. "We have negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia, including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country."
01.08.2024, 18:25
SDA
A total of four people would be returned to the USA, he explained: three American citizens and one person with an American green card. In addition to Gershkovich and Whelan, the other two people are Alsu Kurmasheva and Vladimir Kara-Murza, according to Biden.
With regard to those released, Biden emphasized: "Some of these men and women have been unjustly detained for years. They have all endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today their suffering has come to an end."
The democrat thanked the other countries involved in the complex negotiations, including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey. "This is a powerful example of why it is so important to have friends in this world that you can trust and rely on," Biden emphasized and assured that he would continue to work for the release of Americans who are unjustly imprisoned elsewhere in the world.
In mid-July, the Russian judiciary sentenced the 32-year-old reporter Gershkovich to 16 years in prison in a controversial trial for alleged espionage. The Russia correspondent for the US newspaper "Wall Street Journal" was arrested by the Russian secret service FSB at the end of 2023 while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg in the Urals. He was accused of collecting secret information about Russia's arms complex for US agencies. The Wall Street Journal denied the allegations.
The 54-year-old former US soldier Whelan was also sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court in June 2020 for allegedly acting as an agent. Prior to this, he had been in prison for around a year and a half since 2018. According to the FSB, Whelan was caught red-handed as a spy. He is said to have received secret data on a USB stick. Whelan, who holds multiple citizenships, vehemently proclaimed his innocence and spoke of a politically motivated verdict.
The US government has repeatedly demanded the release of both men. US-Americans are repeatedly suspected of espionage in Russia.
