(NEWSnet/AP) — The United States and Russia agreed to their biggest prisoner swap in decades Thursday, with Moscow releasing about two dozen people including journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan.

That information was according to officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place.

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’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The American prisoners are expected to be in U.S. custody soon.

Both Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, and Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, had been convicted of espionage charges that the U.S. government considered baseless.

The U.S. had previously made an offer to bring home both Whelan and Gershkovich, but Russia rejected that plan in December.

Gershkovich has been behind bars since his March 2023 arrest in Russia. He was accused of “gathering secret information” on orders from the CIA, the Prosecutor General’s office said, and faced 20 years in prison if convicted.

His trial began June 26 behind closed doors in the city of Yekaterinburg; he was later sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In the meantime, Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, had been jailed in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

In a statement posted online, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President and CEO Stephen Capus acknowledged media reports that a journalist working for the broadcaster, Alsu Kurmasheva, would be released as part of the deal.

An earlier prisoner swap in 2022 released basketball star Brittney Griner from Russian custody. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was arrested after Russian customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage.

Biden Gives Remarks

 

Shortly after noon, President Joe Biden introduced some family members, gave remarks and participated in an impromptu press conference at the White House regarding the prisoner swap.

"In just a few hours, we'll welcome home our fellow Americans," he said.

He thanked allies including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey for their assistance; and related that his administration started discussions into cases of Americans wrongfully detained by other countries began before he took office in early 2021. 

"I wanted to make sure we hit the ground running," he explained.

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