WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich and Ex-Marine Paul Whelan released by Russia as part of major prisoner swap with U.S.
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Source: Daily Mail
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. marine Paul Whelan have been released from jail in Russia.
The men were let go as part of a major prisoner swap with Moscow, said to involve around 20 to 30 political prisoners.
Gershkovich, 32, was detained in March 2023 on espionage charges that the United States says are illegitimate. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison in July.
Whelan, 54, has been imprisoned in Russia since 2018 and was sentenced to 16 years in jail in 2020 on spying charges. The U.S. has denied he was ever involved in espionage operations.
Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13697931/WSJ-reporter-Evan-Gershkovich-ex-Marine-Paul-Whelan-dramatically-RELEASED-Russia-major-prisoner-swap-US.html
This may well be a very positive event for the Biden-Harris administration.
gab13by13
(24,587 posts)I will look for another source.
Pototan
(1,860 posts)I am familiar with this story.
muriel_volestrangler
(102,331 posts)The hosts are not keen on relying on the Daily Mail in LBN - while it may have got this story right, it does have RW tabloid values, and a poor record of accuracy.
Mr. Evil
(2,965 posts)I don't like clicking on right-wing rags either.
radical noodle
(8,284 posts)Think. Again.
(17,089 posts)Maeve
(42,860 posts)And it would behoove him to change tactics?????
Nonetheless, it is still rather surprising.
LymphocyteLover
(6,510 posts)Bev54
(11,846 posts)"Boris release the prisoners". He is probably being fed campaign polling data from Manafort.
BumRushDaShow
(140,580 posts)https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/01/politics/russia-us-prisoner-swap/index.html
SKKY
(12,169 posts)..."This is a big fucking deal."
FalloutShelter
(12,663 posts)Secretary Blinken.
Johnny2X2X
(21,405 posts)His family has been working non stop for years, they were very critical of the Trump administration who they said wouldn't even take their calls. Biden has worked tirelessly to get this done.
Really hope Biden and/or Harris show up at the airport to welcome these Americans home.
Prairie Gates
(2,570 posts)Truly, Trump had two and half years to convince Putin to free Whelan, and did jack fuckall about it. It was disgraceful.
Johnny2X2X
(21,405 posts)They've been pretty clear that the Trump administration didn't care one bit about Whelan, but of course they had to remain reserved because they didn't want to piss Trump off in case he ever got back in. I hope they are effusive in their praise for Biden/Harris, but I also hope they just let it all out and let Trump have it. Trump didn't care because there was nothing in it for him.
Prairie Gates
(2,570 posts)Whelan's charges were more serious from a Russian perspective, but I could see why they'd be upset that Griner got the attention and swap potential that she did while Whelan sat in prison for yet another year.
Johnny2X2X
(21,405 posts)They wanted their guy back, but they didn't blame Biden for getting the deal for Griner that they could get. And Griner has spoken with them several times and been an advocate for Whelan. It was the Cons who were going nuts that Biden got a gay black athlete back, but the Russians weren't willing to give up Whelan for what we offered.
Prairie Gates
(2,570 posts)happy feet
(1,055 posts)They had no cause to be upset. There are so many factors that go into this prisoner swap --- I trust the administration did what was possible at the time as well as now.
Raven
(14,078 posts)Johnny2X2X
(21,405 posts)Trump is going to lose and he better do this deal because Trump giving them Ukraine is off the table.
Raven
(14,078 posts)obamanut2012
(27,710 posts)Native
(6,267 posts)twodogsbarking
(12,127 posts)Prairie Gates
(2,570 posts)He knew damn well that this could happen and went anyway.
Glad he's out, but he's not acquitted himself well.
twodogsbarking
(12,127 posts)Prairie Gates
(2,570 posts)He said he would work on freeing the hostages in Gaza and Americans held prisoner elsewhere in the world. It was obviously a reference to Gershkovic at least, since he had just been sentenced days before.
Bravo, Mr. President and the whole team that worked on this.
wordstroken
(628 posts)Botany
(72,237 posts)Best President of my lifetime.
iluvtennis
(20,705 posts)niyad
(119,154 posts)LisaL
(46,241 posts)NT
niyad
(119,154 posts)Hotler
(11,968 posts)onecaliberal
(35,455 posts)Ocelot II
(119,966 posts)usonian
(13,262 posts)An orange one?
Think. Again.
(17,089 posts)Think. Again.
(17,089 posts)...Biden Harris administration has succeeded again...
...(we need to spin the shit out of this)...
...
Clouds Passing
(1,708 posts)Farmer-Rick
(11,167 posts)What's Putin up to?
Is this a signal that he thinks Pedo Trump will lose?
Trump needs to stay away from windows.
LisaL
(46,241 posts)NT
obamanut2012
(27,710 posts)obamanut2012
(27,710 posts)I'm serious. This helps Biden-Harris. Great PR.
Ramsey Barner
(626 posts)"I told you I would get Gershkovich released before the election," or something like that?
getagrip_already
(17,073 posts)Its a sure thing.
Ramsey Barner
(626 posts)puppet master doesn't want to deal with his puppet......yeah OK
gatomedianoche
(73 posts)Anton Gerashchenko @Gersashchenko_en
The largest prisoner exchange of Russian political prisoners and the West since the Cold War may take place on the border between Russia and Poland.
The An-148 airplane with the flight number RA-61727, which had earlier landed in Russia's Kaliningrad, flew back to Moscow.
This plane has already been used in prisoner exchanges between Russia and other countries before.
There are reports that the exchange has/will take place today.
Jacson6
(661 posts)Roc2020
(1,694 posts)gatomedianoche
(73 posts)Anton Gerashchenko @Gerashchenko_en
Russian Telegram channels report that the prisoner exchange between Russia and Western countries in Ankara is complete. It involved 26 people from prisons in the US, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus. As a result of the exchange, 10 people flew to Russia, 13 to Germany and three to the US.
No official confirmation has been made.
SunSeeker
(53,445 posts)LetMyPeopleVote
(153,721 posts)This was a very complex deal involving multiple countries. It took a world leader like President Biden to pull off this deal
Link to tweet
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/01/russia-us-prisoner-swap/
Those to be released included American journalist Evan Gershkovich of the Wall Street Journal, who was accused of espionage without any known evidence, and Paul Whelan, a former Marine jailed for more than five years after an espionage conviction the United States called baseless, as well as several Russian dissidents who demanded freedom and democracy or criticized the war in Ukraine, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post Opinions contributor.
The prisoners were released from the jails of seven countries: the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus, the Turkish presidential office said, adding that they were brought to Turkey by seven planes, two from the United States and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia.
Omaha Steve
(103,076 posts)Daily Mail is not a suitable source for LBN.
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