{"id":14433,"date":"2024-08-01T17:49:55","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T17:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/2024\/08\/01\/prisoner-swap-latest-us-reporter-evan-gershkovich-freed-in-us-russia-prisoner-swap\/"},"modified":"2024-08-01T17:59:14","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T17:59:14","slug":"prisoner-swap-latest-us-reporter-evan-gershkovich-freed-in-us-russia-prisoner-swap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/2024\/08\/01\/prisoner-swap-latest-us-reporter-evan-gershkovich-freed-in-us-russia-prisoner-swap\/","title":{"rendered":"Prisoner Swap Latest: US reporter Evan Gershkovich freed in US-Russia prisoner swap"},"content":{"rendered":"<script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-8864793242727901\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\"><strong>WASHINGTON<\/strong> \u2013 The United States and Russia completed a <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-us-prisoner-swap-gershkovich-5e1d9d7511df03b5f3d0c5734f886189\">24-person prisoner swap<\/a> on Thursday, the largest in post-Soviet history, with Moscow releasing Wall Street Journal reporter <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/evan-gershkovich\">Evan Gershkovich<\/a> and fellow American <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/paul-whelan\">Paul Whelan<\/a> in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The Journal confirmed that Gershkovich had been freed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">It&#8217;s the latest exchange between Washington and Moscow in the past two years, following a December 2022 trade that brought WNBA <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/olympics-2024-womens-basketbll-brittney-griner-f1dad5521a13033d698bfc2809749d66\">star Brittney Griner<\/a> back to the U.S. in exchange for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Russia meanwhile secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Here&#8217;s the Latest:<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden hits back at Trump\u2019s claim that he could get Putin to release prisoners<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">During his White House address earlier today, President Joe Biden responded to former President Donald Trump\u2019s frequent claim that he could get Russia to release imprisoned Americans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">When asked about Trump\u2019s claim, Biden retorted, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t he do it when he was president?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">But most of the released Westerners were detained during Biden\u2019s presidency, though corporate security consultant Paul Whelan had been in custody since 2018 when Trump was in office.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Before the deal, Trump said Gershkovich, who was detained in 2023 during Biden\u2019s presidency, would \u201cbe released almost immediately after the election.\u201d He said Russian President Vladimir Putin \u201cwill do that for me and I don\u2019t believe he\u2019ll do it for anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden broke the news of the exchange to relatives of the American detainees<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden invited relatives of the detained Americans into the Oval Office as the U.S. received word that the prisoners had been swapped in Turkey, White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cHe was able to give them the news directly that the exchange was complete,\u201d Sullivan said of Biden.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden then made two calls, one to Americans Gershkovich, Kurmasheva and Whelan and the other to Kara-Murza, a dual Russian-U.K. citizen. Each of the family members was able to talk to their relatives, Sullivan said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden told the former prisoners he \u201cwelcomed their freedom\u201d and said on behalf of the American people that \u201che was so proud to have them out.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden also reminisced with Kara-Murza about serving as pallbearers together at the 2018 funeral for former U.S. Sen. John McCain.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Exiled Belarus opposition leader hopes exchange sets precedent for the release of prisoners in her own country<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The exiled leader of Belarus\u2019 opposition, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, hopes the prisoner exchange can be a heartening sign for her country\u2019s political prisoners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cWe welcome the freeing of political prisoners from Russian jails and the fact that such an exchange of \u0441aptives is an important precedent that helps releases of Belarusians,\u201d she said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Human rights observers say Belarus holds nearly 1,400 political prisoners, largely from the crackdown on widespread protests in 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">One of those released in today\u2019s exchange is a German Red Cross worker who was sentenced to death last month for terrorism but who was pardoned by the president this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">US national security advisor says the swap\u2019s \u2018benefit outweighs the risk\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The U.S. believes the benefit of securing the release of wrongfully detained Americans outweighed the risk of incentivizing American adversaries from taking additional prisoners as leverage, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sullivan acknowledged that \u201cIt is difficult to send back a convicted criminal to secure the release of an innocent American,\u201d saying it\u2019s a question U.S. policymakers \u201cgrapple with every time\u201d a prisoner swap deal is discussed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sullivan says the U.S. conducted an assessment and determined that the \u201cbenefit outweighs the risk.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sullivan says Roger Carsten, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, conducted an analysis that suggests Americans are at no greater risk for being detained when the U.S. makes deals to secure their release.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Poland\u2019s part in the prisoner exchange<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The prisoner released by Poland, Pavel Rubtsov, has been known since his arrest more than two years ago as Pablo Gonzalez, a journalist working for Spanish media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked Polish President Andrzej Duda and the Polish security services for their work, which led to part of the exchange.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cThe 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,\u201d Tusk wrote on X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Poland\u2019s Internal Security Agency said in March 2022 that they arrested a Spanish citizen of Russian origin on espionage charges the night of Feb. 27-28, 2022, in the border town of Przemysl, and read him \u201cthe charge of participating in foreign intelligence activities against Poland.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The agency said, \u201cHe carried out activities on behalf of Russia using his status as a journalist. This allowed him to move freely around Europe and the world, including to zones of armed conflict and regions of political tension.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Former Russian President Medvedev: \u2018I would like the traitors of Russia to rot in prison\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In comments apparently referring to the massive US-Russia prisoner exchange, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said, \u201cI would like the traitors of Russia to rot in prison or die in jail, as has often happened. But it is more useful to get out our own, who worked for the country, for the Fatherland, for all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Medvedev was regarded as a moderate during his 2008-2012 presidency, but since the 2022 start of the Ukraine has made vehemently anti-West and nationalist statements on the Telegram messaging app.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cLet the traitors now feverishly pick new names and actively disguise themselves under the witness protection program,\u201d he wrote Thursday, without directly mentioning the exchange.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Navalny\u2019s widow says there are more Russian prisoners \u2018we still have to fight for\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Alexei Navalny\u2019s widow Yulia Navalnaya said on X that \u201cit was a huge, long, and very difficult work, with negotiations spanning several years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cIn February, many different people came together for another attempt to save them all. And now, they are all free,\u201d Navalnaya wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cEvery released political prisoner is a huge victory and a reason to celebrate. No one should be held hostage by Putin, subjected to torture, or left to die in his prisons,\u201d adding that there are prisoners in Russia \u201cwe still have to fight for.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Ally of Alexei Navalny laments the Russian opposition leader\u2019s death<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Russia\u2019s late opposition leader Alexei Navalny should have been freed in the historic prisoner exchange that took place Thursday, his closest ally Leonid Volkov said on social media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Navalny, Russia\u2019s most prominent opposition leader, died in February at the age of 47 in a remote Arctic prison. Shortly after his death, his allies said that Moscow was in talks with the West about a prisoner exchange involving the politician. Weeks later, Russian President Vladimir Putin also said that he was prepared to release Navalny in a prisoner swap on condition that he never return to Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cToday we\u2019re reveling in the release of political prisoners, Putin\u2019s hostages who were suffering in Putin\u2019s gulag,\u201d Volkov said on X. \u201cBut it still will be joy with tears in our eyes. \u2018The Navalny swap\u2019 has taken place &#8230; But without Navalny. It hurts a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Who\u2019s in the massive prisoner swap between Russia and the West?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">One spent over 5\u00bd years behind bars in Russia while other, higher-profile detainees were released ahead of him. Another was jailed for only a few months. They include journalists, veteran political activists and those simply opposed to the war in Ukraine. The youngest is 19, the oldest 71.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Among the Russians jailed in the West were alleged sleeper agents who lived double lives. Others were convicted of hacking computers. One was imprisoned for the brazen, daytime shooting death of a man in a Berlin park.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u25b6 Who walked free in <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/live\/ner-swap-gershkovich-5e1d9d7511df03b5f3d0c5734f886189\">today\u2019s civilian prisoner swap?<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden pays respect to the families of those formerly detained<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">During his speech, Biden took Elizabeth Whelan\u2019s hand and said she\u2019d practically been living at the White House as they tried to free Paul.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">He then motioned for Alsu Kurmasheva\u2019s daughter Miriam to come closer, and took her hand, telling the room it was her 13th birthday before asking everyone to sing \u201cHappy Birthday\u201d with him. The teen was emotional as Biden hugged her across the shoulders with one arm and wiped away a tear after she walked away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cNow she gets to celebrate with her mom,\u201d Biden said. \u201cThat\u2019s what this is all about \u2014 families able to be together again. Like they should have been all along.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Family of detained former Marine thanks public officials, journalists and ordinary letter writers<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The family of a former Marine is thanking everyone from top U.S. officials to GoFundMe donors and fellow military vets for his release from Russian detention after 2,043 days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Paul Whelan\u2019s family issued the statement Thursday after confirming the former Marine was among those coming home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The family used the opportunity to thank President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan. But they also expressed gratitude to Washington insiders, ordinary letter writers and journalists who all helped keep up pressure for Whelan\u2019s release.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In the statement, the family notes that Whelan lost his home and his job while wrongfully held by Russia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cWe are unsure how someone overcomes these losses and rejoins society after being a hostage,\u201d his family wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">What are Germany\u2019s \u2018serious concessions\u2019?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The German government says it didn\u2019t take lightly the decision to free Vadim Krasikov, convicted of carrying out a Russian-ordered murder in Berlin in 2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">German Chancellor Olaf Scholz\u2019s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said in a statement Friday that the release of 15 people held \u201cwrongfully\u201d in Russia and a German held in Belarus could only be achieved by deporting Russians \u201cwith an intelligence background\u201d held in Europe such as Krasikov.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Hebestreit said that \u201cthe German government did not take this decision lightly.\u201d He added that \u201cthe freedom, physical well-being and \u2014 in some cases \u2014 ultimately the life of innocent people imprisoned in Russia and unjustly held political prisoners stood against the state\u2019s interest in the enforcement of the prison sentence of convicted criminal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Hebestreit said that \u201cour obligation to protect German citizens and solidarity with the U.S. were important motivations.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden acknowledges \u2018serious concessions from Germany\u2019 in prisoner exchange<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden credited U.S. allies for the prisoner swap, saying it\u2019s \u201ca powerful example of why it\u2019s vital to have friends in this world.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cFor anyone who questions whether allies matter, they do,\u201d Biden said. \u201cThey matter.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">But he also acknowledged that such prisoner swaps \u201ccome with tough calls.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The president said that he has a great sense of gratitude to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The deal, he said, \u201crequired me to get some serious concessions from Germany.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">President Joe Biden says detained Americans are coming home and \u2018their brutal ordeal is over\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Addressing the nation from the White House State Room, Biden said it was a \u201cfeat of diplomacy\u201d that brought home Whelan, Gershkovich, Kurmasheva and Kara-Murza. He said multiple countries worked together to get it done.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">As Biden made his statement at the White House, he was joined by relatives of the freed Americans.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The U.S. president said he and the families had spoken to their relatives by phone from the Oval Office minutes before his address. Biden called the release an \u201cincredible relief\u201d for the families and a feat of diplomacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden said the work to bring home those wrongfully detained began during his transition into the presidency. And he said his administration has brought home 70 Americans, \u201cmany since before I took office.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">US Senators react to prisoner exchange<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Republicans in the Senate welcomed the news but also pointed out the deal came at a cost for the U.S.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement, \u201cWhile I am glad to see the return of these wrongfully detained Americans, we must not forget those who were left behind: Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina. The United States paid a steep price for this exchange, as those returning to Russia are some of Putin\u2019s most valuable assets who will be glad to return to their villainous ways.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Meanwhile, Democrats also lauded the Biden administration for including Russian opposition leaders in the release.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said it \u201cspeaks to a very smart policy by this administration to of course prioritize Americans, but also realize that we can\u2019t stand up for democracy globally if we are not supporting freedom fighters inside places like Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Amnesty International says exchange leaves \u2018a bitter aftertaste\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Amnesty International expressed relief at the release of prisoners held by Russia, but said the exchange leaves \u201ca bitter aftertaste.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The deputy secretary general of Amnesty\u2019s German branch, Christian Mihr, said in a statement that \u201ca 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">He said that \u201ctherefore, the prisoner swap is also a step toward expanding impunity.\u201d He argued that the Russian government could feel encouraged to carry out further political detentions and human rights violations without having to fear consequences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">VP Harris reacts<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Vice President Kamala Harris says in a statement the U.S. is celebrating the release of those \u201cunjustly held in Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Harris, the likely Democratic nominee for president, wrote: \u201cIt gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over.\u201d She said the Biden administration will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained has been brought home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden calls exchange a \u2018feat of diplomacy\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">President Joe Biden praised the negotiations that brought four Americans home from Russian detention Thursday as a \u201cfeat of diplomacy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In a White House statement, Biden cited the \u201cunimaginable suffering and uncertainty\u201d surrounding the prisoners\u2019 time in Russian custody.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cToday, their agony is over,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden thanked allies including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey for their assistance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Biden said his administration had brought home more than 70 Americans who had been wrongfully detained or otherwise held hostage. \u201cI have no higher priority as President than bringing those Americans home,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Turkey\u2019s intelligence chief facilitated talks between the US and Russia, per Turkish official<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">A Turkish security official said Turkey\u2019s intelligence chief, Ibrahim Kalin, personally facilitated talks between his U.S. and Russian counterparts for the prisoner swap.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The talks took place in Istanbul and Ankara, the official said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">According to the official, Washington and Moscow reached out to Turkey requesting its assistance. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan then instructed Kalin to \u201cdo whatever is necessary\u201d to make the deal happen, according to the official, who provided the information on customary condition of anonymity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sen Graham says exchange is &#8216;reinforcing bad behavior&#8217;<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said he was glad that the U.S. citizens would get to go home, but added that the exchange was \u201cjust reinforcing bad behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Graham, who is known as a hawk on foreign policy, suggested that the next time an American is imprisoned under similar circumstances, the U.S. should \u201cjust pound the hell out of Russia.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The Wall Street Journal celebrates Gershkovich\u2019s release<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker says Gershkovich has walked free from a Russian plane and will soon board a flight home to the U.S.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cI cannot even begin to describe the immense happiness and relief that this news brings and I know all of you will feel the same,\u201d Tucker wrote in a note to the staff obtained by the AP. \u201cThis is a day of great joy for Evan and his family, and a historic day for The Wall Street Journal.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/eadean1418\/status\/1819032141843308703\">Wall Street Journal reporters broke into applause<\/a> after his release was announced in the New York newsroom. Gershkovich\u2019s photo was projected onto a screen along with #IStandWithEvan, the hashtag supporters around the world used to call for his freedom.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The trade<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The sprawling deal, the latest in a series of prisoner swaps negotiated between Russia and the U.S. in the last two years but the first to require significant concessions from other countries, was heralded by President Joe Biden as a diplomatic achievement in the final months of his administration. But the release of Americans has come at a price: Russia has secured the freedom of its own nationals convicted of serious crimes in the West by trading them for journalists, dissidents and other Westerners convicted and sentenced in a highly politicized legal system on charges the U.S. considers bogus.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The Wall Street Journal confirms Gershkovich\u2019s release<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The Journal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/russia\/evan-gershkovich-free-cde745b3\">confirmed the release<\/a>, with top editor Emma Tucker saying in a staff email: \u201cI cannot even begin to describe the immense happiness and relief that this news brings and I know all of you will feel the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Russia extended Gershkovich\u2019s detention several times<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/gershkovich-russia-jailed-journalist-putin-custody-extended-e53ec909dd55b3cfe94a11e4d4b713ed\">In February<\/a>, a Moscow court ruled to keep him in custody pending his trial.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-wall-street-journal-gershkovich-jail-27ec0cdb332b4899bf882ba423899dfb\">In March<\/a>, the court ordered him to remain in jail on espionage charges until at least late June. The 32-year-old had spent <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-wall-street-journal-gershkovich-jail-27ec0cdb332b4899bf882ba423899dfb\">nearly a year behind bars by then<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-american-journalist-evan-gershkovich-b0368690b023efda465df70bcc682b53\">In April<\/a>, the court rejected an appeal that sought to end his pretrial detention.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">His arrest in the city of Yekaterinburg rattled journalists in Russia, where authorities have not detailed what, if any, evidence they have to support the espionage charges.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Gershkovich appeared in Russian court more than a dozen times<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Since his detention, Gershkovich has appeared more than a dozen times in Russian courtrooms \u2014 first in Moscow, where he was held at the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/moscow-lefortovo-prison-gershkovich-russia-wall-street-journal-2b160207d8c08f8ca0cc30b619daf6e9\">notorious Lefortovo Prison<\/a>, and then at the Sverdlovsk Regional Court in the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">His pretrial appearances became almost formulaic, as he was led in handcuffs over and over from a prison van to a glass defendant\u2019s cage. They offered <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-who-is-evan-gershkovich-journalist-spying-conviction-f3a03fabf6a427f6c0459d62a6f8c5e8\">his family and friends<\/a> both a painful reminder of his detention but also a chance to lay eyes on him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s always a mixed feeling. I\u2019m happy to see him and that he\u2019s doing well, but it\u2019s a reminder that he is not with us. We want him at home,\u201d Gershkovich\u2019s mother, Ella Milman, told The Associated Press in an interview in March.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Although Gershkovich was often seen smiling in the brief appearances, friends and family said he found it hard to face a wall of cameras pointed at him as if he were an animal in a zoo.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">As his trial started behind closed doors on June 26, Gershkovich stood in the defendants cage with a shaved head as the media were allowed briefly into the court.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Russia has detained many other journalists<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The arrest of Gershkovich \u2014 the first U.S. journalist taken into custody on espionage charges since Nicholas Daniloff in 1986 at the height of the Cold War \u2014 came as a shock, even though Russia had enacted increasingly repressive laws on freedom of speech after the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">\u201cHe was accredited by the Russian Foreign Ministry. There was nothing to suggest that this was going to happen,\u201d said Emma Tucker, The Wall Street Journal\u2019s editor-in-chief in an interview in March.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Since the invasion, Russian authorities have detained <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-putin-us-prisoners-spying-gershkovich-9d8260f09233d2385856b85d26d3954b\">several U.S. nationals<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-kurmasheva-crackdown-journalist-rferl-7a9bfe693edbfc8dd222e24d9baac46e\">other Westerners<\/a>, and Gershkovich knew the risks, said Washington Post correspondent and friend Francesca Ebel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">After his arrest, he knew \u201cright from the very start that this was going to take a long time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Long before his arrest, Gershkovich lamented that many friends in Russia were being locked up<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">In early 2022, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-wall-street-journal-gershkovich-jail-27ec0cdb332b4899bf882ba423899dfb\">Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich<\/a> wrote on social media that \u201creporting on Russia is now also a regular practice of watching people you know get locked away for years.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">A year later, he was the one locked up \u2014 arrested in March 2023 on charges of spying that his employer and the U.S. government have denounced as fabricated. Last month, he was <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1\">convicted and sentenced<\/a> to 16 years in prison.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">WSJ reporter freed in massive US-Russia prisoner swap <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The United States and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history on Thursday, with Moscow releasing journalist <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/evan-gershkovich\">Evan Gershkovich<\/a> and fellow American <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/paul-whelan\">Paul Whelan<\/a> in a multinational deal that set some two dozen people free, according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Both had been convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considered baseless.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The trade followed years of secretive back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-joe-biden-business-europe-moscow-e88497e7e8d4ad178057b599cc9ec8f6\">February 2022 invasion of Ukraine<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">The sprawling deal, the latest in a series of prisoner swaps negotiated between Russia and the U.S. in the last two years but the first to require significant concessions from other countries.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Speculation had mounted for weeks that a swap was near because of a confluence of unusual developments, including <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/evan-gershkovich-russia-espionage-trial-ef2e9fffc44570cf797e97aa6afa50a1#:~:text=YEKATERINBURG%2C%20Russia%20(AP)%20%E2%80%94,government%20have%20rejected%20as%20fabricated.\">a startingly quick trial and conviction for Gershkovich<\/a> that Washington regarded as a sham. He was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security prison.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 CGHCP htMUPQ article-text\">Gershkovich was arrested March 29, 2023, while on a reporting trip to the Ural Mountains city of Yekaterinburg.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.<\/p>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickorlando.com\/news\/2024\/08\/01\/prisoner-swap-latest-us-reporter-evan-gershkovich-freed-in-prisoner-swamp\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WASHINGTON \u2013 The United States and Russia completed a 24-person prisoner swap on Thursday, the largest in post-Soviet history, with Moscow releasing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and fellow&hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14434,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5787,5685,5790,1483,5789,5788,1484],"class_list":["post-14433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-brittney-griner","tag-evan-gershkovich","tag-paul-whelan","tag-u-s-news","tag-viktor-bout","tag-washington-news","tag-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14435,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14433\/revisions\/14435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvbrazilusa.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}