American journalist Evan Gershkovich freed in massive prisoner swap held in seven countries

The exchange, revealed by Turkey, involves 26 people from prisons in the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.

An exchange involving 26 prisoners, including American journalist Evan Gershkovich, has been carried out between Russia and several Western countries, Turkey announced on Thursday, August 1. Turkish intelligence services have “conducted the largest prisoner exchange operation in recent years in Ankara time”the Turkish presidency said.

The prisoners came from prisons in the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus. “10 prisoners, including two minors, were transferred to Russia, thirteen to Germany and three to the United States“, the Turkish presidency said. Seven planes took part in the transport of the prisoners.

American Paul Whelan, imprisoned in Russia since late 2018was also released, after more than five years spent waiting for the outcome of tough negotiations between Moscow and Washington. The German Rico Krieger, convicted in Belarus for “terrorism” and “mercenarism”, is among the other prisoners released, as is the Russian opponent Ilya Yashin, sentenced to eight and a half years in prison in 2022 for having denounced crimes attributed to Russia in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, alleged Russian agent Vadim Krassikov, imprisoned in Germany for the assassination of a former Chechen separatist commander in Berlin in 2019, will be able to return to his country. The names of the other prisoners concerned have not been released.

According to the Turkish presidency, “all prisoners have been disembarked and placed in safe places”where were carried out “ratification procedures between the parties, health checks of prisoners and the completion of other required formalities.”