The United States and Russia have completed a major prisoner swap, the largest in post-Soviet history, with Moscow releasing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan in a multinational deal.
Thursday’s swap set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.
The West obtained the release of 16 people from Russia, including five Germans and seven Russian political prisoners, according to a statement by US President Joe Biden.
Russia meanwhile secured the freedom of several of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West.
Here’s how the world reacted:
United Nations
UN rights chief Volker Turk expressed his “relief” over the prisoner swap.
“All journalists & rights defenders detained solely for doing their jobs must be freed,” said the United Nations Human Rights Office in a post on X.
NATO
NATO hailed the release of prisoners it said came from alliance members working in close cooperation.
“We welcome the release today of several political prisoners from Russia. The deal that secured their freedom was negotiated by several NATO allies working together,” spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah said.
Poland
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk voiced gratitude to the country’s President Andrzej Duda and the security services for their work, which led to part of the exchange.
“The prisoner exchange operation has just ended, thanks to which Russian opposition heroes and citizens of NATO countries detained in Russia left Russia. The action was possible thanks to the involvement of our state. I would like to thank the President and the services for their exemplary cooperation,” Tusk wrote on X.
United States
Biden said the exchange was “a feat of diplomacy and friendship” and praised Washington’s allies for their “bold and brave decisions”.
“This would not have been possible without our allies,” he said. “Today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world.”
Russia
The Kremlin, speaking on the day of the exchange, said it hoped those who had left Russia, whom it described as “enemies”, would stay away, according to the state-run TASS news agency.
“Let the traitors now feverishly pick up new names and actively disguise themselves under witness protection programmes,” former President Dmitry Medvedev said.
Germany
Germany said the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian convicted of the murder in 2019 of a former Chechen fighter in Berlin in 2019, was “not an easy decision”.
“Our obligation to protect German nationals and our solidarity with the USA were important motivations,” the government said in a statement.
Norway
The Northern European country was part of the exchange. It released a Russian national charged with spying in the country.
“The exchange has been made possible through extensive international cooperation,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said in a statement.
“For the Norwegian authorities, it has been important to contribute in such cooperation with our close allies. A close collaboration across several countries has made this possible.”
United Kingdom
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he “strongly” welcomed the release of prisoners in Russia, especially Whelan and dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who hold British citizenship.
“Mr Kara-Murza is a dedicated opponent of Putin’s regime,” Lammy said in a statement. “He should never have been in prison in the first place: the Russian authorities imprisoned him in life-threatening conditions because he courageously told the truth about the war in Ukraine.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed his comments.
“I welcome the release of a number of prisoners held in Russia, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich,” Starmer wrote on X. “We will continue to call on Russia to uphold freedom of political expression.”
I am deeply relieved that Vladimir Kara-Murza has been released. He is a dedicated opponent of the illegal invasion of Ukraine and should never have been imprisoned in the first place. I look forward to speaking to him and Paul Whelan as they return home.
My statement 👇🏿…
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) August 1, 2024
Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal editor Emma Tucker, whose correspondent Gershkovich was included in the exchange, said the swap “done in a trade for Russian operatives guilty of serious crimes was predictable as the only solution given President [Vladimir] Putin’s cynicism.
“We are grateful to President Biden and his administration for working with persistence and determination to bring Evan home rather than see him shipped off to a Russian work camp for a crime he didn’t commit.”
Yulia Navalnaya
Many of those freed had worked with the late Alexey Navalny, Russia’s leading opposition figure. His widow Yulia Navalnaya said the release of Russian dissidents is “a great happiness”.
“Every released political prisoner is a huge victory and joy. No one should be held hostage by Putin, tortured and die in Putin’s prison,” she wrote on X.
Amnesty International
Amnesty International expressed relief at the release of prisoners held by Russia, but said the exchange leaves “a bitter aftertaste”.
The deputy secretary-general of Amnesty’s German branch, Christian Mihr, said in a statement that “a murderer and other criminals who were convicted in a fair trial are now coming free in exchange for people who only used their right to freedom of expression.
“Therefore, the prisoner swap is also a step toward expanding impunity.”
He argued that the Russian government could feel encouraged to carry out further political detentions and human rights violations without having to fear consequences.
Reporters Without Borders
The press freedom watchdog, known by its French acronym (RSF), said it is “hugely relieved” by the release of Gershkovich and his fellow journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
“Neither should have spent a single day in a Russian prison for doing their jobs as journalists,” RSF said in a statement.
Memorial
Memorial, the humanr rights group co-chaired by 71-year-old Oleg Orlov, who was among those released, welcomed the swap and called for all political prisoners in Russia and Belarus to be freed.
“We cannot forget the political prisoners still incarcerated in Russia, whose rights are violated daily. There are still 764 political prisoners in Russia recognised by @pzk_memo_eng. They need us to support and fight for them even more than before. Let us continue our fight for the freedom of all political prisoners and the end of the criminal war against Ukraine,” the group wrote on X.
