Summary of the day
Yesterday evening, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris met Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other freed American prisoners just hours after Washington and Moscow completed their largest prisoner exchange since the cold war.
Gershkovich spoke about his feelings boarding the bus with the other freed detainees on Thursday and said he was happy to see Russians on board as well.
He also said: “I spent a month in prison in Yekaterinburg where everyone I sat with was a political prisoner. Nobody knows them publicly, they have various political beliefs, they are not all connected with Navalny supporters, who everyone knows about. I would potentially like to see if we could do something about them as well.”
The Kremlin said that Vladimir Putin’s decision to meet released prisoners as they arrived by plane in Russia “was a tribute to people who serve their country and who after very difficult trials, and thanks to the hard work of many people, have been able to return to the Motherland.”
The Kremlin also confirmed that Vadim Krasikov, a hitman returned by Germany as part of yesterday’s major prisoner swap, was an employee of Russia’s FSB security service and had served in Alpha Group, the FSB’s special forces unit.
France urged Moscow to set free French citizen Laurent Vinatier and other people still “arbitrarily” detained.
Amnesty International has welcomed the release of people held in Russia but stressed that “this isn’t the end” and “Russia must free all persons jailed for peaceful dissent.”
For a few seconds, no one even noticed that Evan Gershkovich had taken his first steps back on US soil as a free man.
All eyes were on Paul Whelan, the ex-marine who had spent more than 2,000 days in a Russian prison, mostly in obscurity as his family implored the White House to bring him home. Now Joe Biden was holding him by the elbow, while the vice-president, Kamala Harris, looked on.
But then Harris turned around and spotted Gershkovich, who threw his arms out as if to say: “Here I am!” She mimicked him in mock surprise. Then they hugged. It was a moment.
Soon, Gershkovich came over to his mother, Ella, who had lobbied presidents, chancellors and senior officials to assemble a complex and precarious prisoner swap that would release him from a Russian jail. He lifted her off the ground in a big bear hug. Another picture-perfect moment.
Finally, he strolled over to the more than 100 waiting journalists, ready to greet colleagues and field questions despite the fact he’d been released just that morning. Asked how it was to be free, he barely thought and said: “Not bad.
The Russian foreign ministry has accused YouTube of censoring content and preventing access to information at Washington’s behest, Reuters reported citing the state-run RIA news agency.
The ministry said there were “serious grounds to act against YouTube, including via legal instruments.”
France has urged Moscow to set free French citizen Laurent Vinatier and other people still “arbitrarily” detained, AFP reported.
“France shares the sentiment of the families and allied governments following the release of several political prisoners held in Russia,” the French foreign ministry said.
“Our thoughts are with those who remain arbitrarily detained in Russia, including our compatriot Laurent Vinatier. France calls for their immediate release.”
Several Russian dissidents released in yesterday’s exchange said they would speak publicly later today.
Today in Bonn Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin and Andrei Pivovarov will hold a press conference on the release of Russian political prisoners.
— Vladimir Kara-Murza (@vkaramurza) August 2, 2024
Start: 18:30, location: Deutsche Welle, Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 3, 53113 Bonn
For credentials please contact press@prb.team, +37062694552 pic.twitter.com/k3H5scuTus
'Not bartering human beings': Amnesty calls for freeing of all people jailed for dissent in Russia
Amnesty International has welcomed the release of people held in Russia but stressed that “this isn’t the end.”
“Russia must free all persons jailed for peaceful dissent. The right way forward is the dismantling of Russia’s system of political repression, not bartering human beings,” it said.
This isn’t the end. Russia must free all persons jailed for peaceful dissent. The right way forward is the dismantling of Russia’s system of political repression, not bartering human beings.
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) August 2, 2024
Kremlin confirms hitman worked for FSB security service
The Kremlin said today that Vadim Krasikov, a hitman returned by Germany as part of yesterday’s major prisoner swap, was an employee of Russia’s FSB security service and had served in Alpha Group, the FSB’s special forces unit, Reuters reported.
Evan Gershkovich highlights plight of Russian political prisoners as he arrives in US
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris met Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and two other freed American prisoners just hours after Washington and Moscow completed their largest prisoner exchange since the cold war.
After a few minutes spent chatting with family, Evan approached the crowd of reporters and began to embrace his friends and colleagues.
Asked how he was feeling he said “I feel fine.” But he also spoke about his feelings boarding the bus with the other freed detainees on Thursday and said he was happy to see Russians on board as well.
“There’s one thing I would like to say. It was great to get on that bus today and see not just Americans and Germans but Russian political prisoners.
“I spent a month in prison in Yekaterinburg where everyone I sat with was a political prisoner. Nobody knows them publicly, they have various political beliefs, they are not all connected with Navalny supporters, who everyone knows about. I would potentially like to see if we could do something about them as well. I’d like to talk to people about that in the next weeks and months.”
Read the full story here, from Andrews air force base.
Kremlin says Putin met released prisoners as sign of respect
The Kremlin said today that yesterday’s prisoner swap was negotiated between Russia’s FSB and the US Central Intelligence Agency, Reuters reported.
It also said that Vladimir Putin’s decision to meet the released prisoners as they arrived by plane in Russia was a sign of respect for people who had served their country.
“It was a tribute to people who serve their country and who after very difficult trials, and thanks to the hard work of many people, have been able to return to the Motherland,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
The Kremlin rejected the notion that Russia deliberately arrested people to create an “exchange fund,” calling it absurd.
Updated
