The three Individuals, who had all been imprisoned in Russia on prices criticized by the Biden administration as illegitimate, had been returning dwelling after the largest prisoner change because the Chilly Conflict. Biden and Harris greeted them shortly earlier than midnight on Thursday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the place they had been flown after the change passed off in Turkey.
The three have since landed in San Antonio, Texas. Brooke Military Medical Heart in San Antonio has a reintegration program that has handled different freed detainees lately, together with WNBA participant Brittney Griner, who was held by Russia, and Travis King, who was held by North Korea.
Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Avenue Journal, was detained in March final 12 months and accused of spying for the US. Whelan, a safety guide and former Marine, was arrested by Russian authorities in December 2018 and convicted of espionage in 2020. Kurmasheva, an editor with the U.S.-funded, editorially unbiased Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in June 2023 and sentenced this summer season to 6½ years in a Russian penal colony on a cost of spreading false details about the Russian navy.
They had been amongst 24 individuals freed in an change of prisoners held in seven international locations — Russia and Belarus on one facet, and the US, Germany, Slovenia, Poland and Norway on the opposite. On the Russian facet, 16 prisoners had been launched, together with one who had been imprisoned in Belarus, with German and Americans and Russian dissidents among the many group, nearly all of whom had been flown to Germany. Russia obtained eight individuals in return, together with murderer Vadim Krasikov, who had been imprisoned by Germany, and two hackers and an alleged smuggler with intelligence hyperlinks held in the US.
President Biden, wanting elated, jogged over to reporters after greeting the three freed Individuals, expressing “nice satisfaction” and “aid” that they had been dwelling.
Whelan’s sister, Kurmasheva’s husband and daughters, and Gershkovich’s dad and mom, sister and brother-in-law had been in attendance on the reunion. Additionally there have been members of the Wall Avenue Journal employees, together with editor-in-chief Emma Tucker. The newspaper had run a 16-month strain marketing campaign to have its reporter introduced dwelling. “As we speak is a joyous day,” Tucker mentioned earlier.
The White Home has framed the deal as a diplomatic coup for Biden. However the swap additionally has raised questions concerning the knowledge of collaborating in negotiations with regimes that would imprison harmless individuals for leverage.
Biden at Joint Base Andrews responded to the criticism that the prisoner swap might present incentive to unfriendly nations to detain Individuals for their very own benefit: “I don’t purchase this concept that you simply’re … going to let these individuals rot in jail as a result of different individuals could also be captured,” he mentioned.
He was additionally requested whether or not he had a message for Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Cease,” was his reply. He didn’t elaborate. To the American individuals, he mentioned: “There’s nothing past our capability after we act collectively — nothing, nothing, nothing.”
Earlier than chatting with reporters, he appeared to pin a U.S. flag from his personal lapel to Whelan, who spent greater than 2,043 days in detention in line with his household.
Harris additionally addressed reporters, telling them it was a “superb evening.” She careworn the “significance of constructing alliances and constructing the power that we’ve got by way of diplomacy.”
Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian journalist, creator and opposition politician who holds U.S. everlasting residency — who gained a Pulitzer Prize this 12 months for columns revealed in The Washington Publish — will return to the US after reuniting along with his household in Germany, White Home officers mentioned.
