US and Russia reach agreement on prisoner exchange deal | World News

A deal has been reached between the US and Russia for a prisoner swap.

NBC News, a US partner of Sky News, reports that a prisoner transfer has been agreed upon, and several individuals are expected to soon be in US custody.

Speculation is rife that American reporter Evan Gershkovich and other Western prisoners may be released in exchange for Russian prisoners.

Details of the potential exchange are limited at this time.

While we await more information about these developments, here are some prominent individuals currently detained in Russia, who have been the focus of speculation.

Evan Gershkovich

American journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in March 2023 after Russian authorities claimed he was obtaining confidential information on behalf of the CIA.

Prior to his arrest, President Joe Biden stated that Gershkovich was deliberately targeted and that efforts were being made to secure his release.

Russian prosecutors alleged that he had gathered classified information about a company producing tanks for Russia’s military operations in Ukraine, at the CIA’s behest.

Gershkovich, aged 32, denied the charges against him, with his employer dismissing the trial as a sham.

He was recently sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage, in a trial widely believed to be politically motivated.

Paul Whelan

Former US marine Paul Whelan has been held in Russian custody since his arrest in a Moscow hotel room in December 2018.

Authorities claimed to have caught him red-handed with a memory stick containing sensitive information about Russian agents.

Whelan was convicted of espionage and handed a 16-year sentence in a high-security prison.

Despite maintaining his innocence and arguing that he was set up, Whelan, who also holds British citizenship, was found guilty.

The US ambassador to Russia at the time criticized the legal proceedings against Whelan as a travesty of justice.

Read more:
F-16 fighter jets finally arrive in Ukraine
Syrian president in surprise visit to Russia

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a British-Russian dual citizen, is currently imprisoned in a Siberian penal colony on politically motivated treason charges.

The opposition figure received a 25-year sentence for his critical remarks against the Kremlin.

His arrest in 2022, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, marked a crackdown on dissent reminiscent of Soviet-era repression.

Kara-Murza’s deteriorating health in prison has raised concerns among his family and legal team.

Vadim Ostanin

Vadim Ostanin, an associate of the late Alexei Navalny, was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony on extremism charges last year.

Accused of leading an extremist group and being part of a nonprofit organization deemed as infringing on citizens’ rights, Ostanin’s conviction followed the designation of Navalny’s Foundation for Fighting Corruption as an extremist entity by the Russian government.

He was arrested in November 2021, as part of a broader crackdown on dissent linked to Navalny’s associates.