Russian prisoner swap releases WSJ journalist
It’s the biggest swap with Russia since the Cold War days:
The Wall Street Journal has praised the release of three Americans, including reporter Evan Gershkovich, as part of a historic prisoner swap between Russia and the US.
Gershkovich’s release was negotiated along with that of former marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmashevas, as part of a major inmate swap with Moscow.
A total of 24 prisoners from seven different countries were freed – making it the largest and most complex East-West inmate exchange since the Cold War era.
It’s good that the Western prisoners are free now. But prisoner swaps are almost always bad, and they have very bad consequences: they encourage the imprisonment of Westerners by tyrannical governments in order to effect such swaps.
Who were the people freed by the West in exchange? We don’t know all of their identities, but we have an idea:
Four Russians detained in the US on charges including murder, cyber crime, smuggling and money laundering were thought to possibly be part of the exchange.
The Moscow Times reported the individuals recently disappeared from the federal inmates’ database in America.
Details of exactly who has been released have not been made public yet.
This guy seems to have been the star:
Krasikov, 58, was imprisoned in Germany for the Aug. 23, 2019, murder of Zelimkhan “Tornike” Khangoshvili, who was shot and killed in a park in Berlin, according to The Associated Press. Khangoshvili, 40, was a Georgian citizen who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and claimed asylum in Germany.
Witnesses reportedly saw the shooter throw a bike, a gun and a dark wig into a nearby river. Police arrested him before he could make a run for it on an electric scooter.
Krasikov was convicted for the killing and sentenced to life in prison in 2021.
An assassin let go in exchange for a journalist imprisoned on fake charges? Fabulous. But that’s the main reason the journalist was sentenced in the first place – to be used as a pawn in just such a deal.
And I’m pretty certain the deal took place at this time because it met the needs of both Putin and Biden/Harris: Putin because if Trump gets elected the terms of the bargain would be more difficult for Putin, and Biden because he can get a lot of praise for it.
There is a reason we do not know, and likely never will know, the identities of all the Russians released: that information would reflect poorly on the United States and the broader West.
At noon, Biden and Harris both got a first-class tongue bath from Karinne Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Then a few minutes later the State Department spokesman did the same thing.
It was unseemly to say the least, and might even have been a violation of the Hatch Act. Not that we’ll ever hear that or have any charges brought.
But as a former State Department Officer, I found it truly over the top. And now I’m seeing reporting that Trump is calling Biden’s claims a bunch of lies (no surprise if they are.).
Apparently Josh Shapiro and Mark Kelly are the last two standing in Kamala’s quest for a VP nominee. How long before one of both of them step aside?
I am glad the Americans have been released. Going forward, probably no one should ever visit Russia again, lest they be held to get the release of Russian murderers.
Every time one of ours (who shouldn’t be in Russia in the first place) gets arrested, we should take some random Russia. Of course, Putin wouldn’t really care.
Griner made a stupid mistake going to Russia with pot in her possession. The rest were there on purpose with a mission.
That dog sure has been wagging ….maybe a little too much. It may wag so much that it’s tail falls off.
They are willing to do anything to change the election in their favor…
Please. Please do not let it pass by that there is probably another very imporant part of this exchange that has not been reported. Financial/millitary support for Uktraine. My gut tells me that is also a part of that “agreement”, or maybe the other conflict (Israel/Hamas) was also a part of that negotiation? There is money in there somewhere!
The media has a chance to celebrate the release of the 4 who are coming back home. The 16 who are going back to Russia – the price of the deal – are ignored (as are the Germans who are also going home). Presumably, Biden/Harris and company could have gotten this deal at any time, but they saved it for the election year.
The hitman the hacker and two spies convicted just last month in austria