Russia frees Evan Gershkovich and others in biggest prisoner swap since cold war

submitted 7 months ago by

www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/01/e…

Several foreigners and Russian political prisoners released as Germany frees hitman Vadim Krasikov as part of deal

The largest prisoner swap between Russia and the US since the cold war has taken place, as 16 people were freed from Russian custody including the Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Several other foreign citizens held in Russia and numerous Russian political prisoners were also freed.

The exchange took place at Ankara airport on Thursday in a complicated operation in which planes arrived from and departed to multiple countries.

Among those returning to Russia was the assassin Vadim Krasikov, who has been held in a German prison since 2019 for the murder of a Chechen exile in Berlin. Additionally, several deep-cover Russian “illegal” spies arrested in Norway and Slovenia were swapped, along with Russians held on criminal charges in US jails.

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wildncrazyguy138@fedia.io

7 months ago

Assassinating someone in cold blood in Berlin’s main public square, then not cooperating with authorities, garnering a whole lot of brownie points from authoritarian leader Putin….

These are not the values we should encourage nor emulate.

Deceptichum@quokk.au

edited 7 months ago

Cool negotiating with terrorists.

Now Russia is more incentivised to kidnap people on trumped up charges so they can swap them for killers.

Also surprised Germany only has 5 years prison time for political assassins.

-11

ganksy@lemmy.world

7 months ago

They were already incentivised.

SoJB@lemmy.ml

7 months ago

If we’re tallying up how many state sponsored assassins have committed political terrorism in other sovereign nations, I have some news for you about the West…

There’s a reason these swaps occur regularly instead of a one sided repatriation.

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