The United States and Russia carried out on Thursday the largest prisoner exchange since the Cold War, a historic event facilitated by mediation from Turkey.
Among the released are notable figures such as the American journalist from the 'Wall Street Journal', Evan Gershkovich, the Russian opposition member Vladimir Kara-Murza, and the Spanish journalist Pablo González.
President Joe Biden described the event as a "diplomatic triumph," while thanking his allies Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey for "the difficult and complex negotiations" that led to the release of a total of 24 prisoners, including two minors.
"In total, we have negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia, including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country," said a statement from the White House.
According to confirmation from the White House and the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), Moscow released 16 individuals: three American citizens and one prisoner with legal residency in the United States, as well as five Germans and seven Russians, many of whom are close to opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
The United States and its allies, for their part, released another eight people who were taken to Russia, along with two minors, bringing the total number of those released to 26.
The President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has played a crucial role in coordinating this exchange, emphasizing the importance of keeping lines of communication open between Washington and Moscow, the text highlights.
This exchange has been seen as a significant gesture amid the current tense relations between the two powers.
Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the 'Wall Street Journal', had been arrested in Russia on charges of espionage, which generated widespread international condemnation and calls for his release from human rights organizations and media outlets.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a well-known Kremlin critic and human rights advocate, has faced multiple arrests and imprisonments due to his political activism and open opposition to the Russian government. His inclusion in the exchange is seen as an important victory for defenders of freedom of expression and human rights.
The Spanish journalist Pablo González was also released in this exchange. González had been detained in Poland on suspicion of espionage on behalf of Russia, a case that had attracted media and diplomatic attention between Spain and Poland.
"I will not stop working until all Americans who are unjustly detained or taken hostage around the world are reunited with their families," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
His administration has managed to free 70 Americans, many of whom had been in captivity since before he took office.
The operation, which has been led by the National Intelligence Organization of Turkey, involves individuals from prisons in seven countries: the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia, and Belarus.
Several planes were mobilized to transport the prisoners. Among them, two children were transported to Russia.
Most of the Russian prisoners released by Moscow were close to the recently deceased opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died while serving a 30-year prison sentence in Russia.
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