Biden says ‘brutal ordeal is over’ for Evan Gershkovich and others freed in Russia prisoner swap – live | Russia
'Their brutal ordeal is over': Biden says deal was ' feat of diplomacy and friendship'
Joe Biden is speaking now about the prisoner exchange.
“Now, their brutal ordeal is over,” he said.
“Moments ago, the families and I were able to speak to them on the telephone from the Oval Office. They’re out of Russia,” Biden said, noting it’s an “incredible relief” for the families.
“The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship,” he said.
For anyone who questions whether allies matter, Biden said, “today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world.”
“Our alliances make our people safer,” he said.
Key events
Yulia Navalnaya says release is 'huge victory' but urges to continue fight to free others
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, has said that “every released political prisoner is a huge victory and a reason to celebrate.”
But, she stressed, “we still have to fight for: Daniel Kholodny, Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, Igor Sergunin. We will do everything we can to secure their release. Freedom for all political prisoners!”
Liliya Chanysheva Ksenia Fadeeva Ilya Yashin Vadim Ostanin Vladimir Kara-Murza Oleg Orlov Alexandra Skochilenko Alsu Kurmasheva Andrei Pivovarov German Moyzhes Kevin Lik
This is the list of Russians who have been saved from Putin's regime.
And here’s a first photo of the some of the released prisoners.
Who’s who among the prisoner exchange between Russia and the west?
Shaun Walker
Today’s deal includes political prisoners and journalists held in Russia and Belarus being swapped for Russians held in west.
The list includes figures such as Oleg Orlov, a veteran of the Soviet-era dissident movement, Sasha Skochilenko, a 33-year-old anti-war artist, and Ksenia Fadeyeva,an associate of the late Alexei Navalny.
Read about the prisoners who have been freed.
During his address, Joe Biden – who stood surrounded by the family members of freed prisoners – paused to lead singing of happy birthday to 13-year old Miriam, daughter of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was released as part of the exchange.
US President Joe Biden, standing alonside family members of the freed prisoners, speaks about the prisoner exchange with Russia, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 1, 2024. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
'Their brutal ordeal is over': Biden says deal was ' feat of diplomacy and friendship'
Joe Biden is speaking now about the prisoner exchange.
“Now, their brutal ordeal is over,” he said.
“Moments ago, the families and I were able to speak to them on the telephone from the Oval Office. They’re out of Russia,” Biden said, noting it’s an “incredible relief” for the families.
“The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship,” he said.
For anyone who questions whether allies matter, Biden said, “today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world.”
“Our alliances make our people safer,” he said.
Kamala Harris, the US vice president and contender for the presidency, has said that “today, we celebrate the release of Paul, Evan, Alsu, Vladimir, and others who were unjustly held in Russia.”
“It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over and that they will soon be reunited with their families,” Harris said, adding that she and Joe Biden “will not stop working until every American who is wrongfully detained or held hostage is brought home.”
Today, we celebrate the release of Paul, Evan, Alsu, Vladimir, and others who were unjustly held in Russia. It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over and that they will soon be reunited with their families. @POTUS and I will not stop working until every…
The Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal publisher, Almar Latour, and the Wall Street Journal editor in chief, Emma Tucker, said that “we are overwhelmed with relief and elated for Evan and his family, as well as for the others who were released.”
“At the same time, we condemn in the strongest terms Vladimir Putin’s regime in Russia, which orchestrated Evan’s 491-day wrongful imprisonment based on sham accusations and a fake trial as part of an all-out assault on the free press and truth,” they said.
They added:
Evan and his family have displayed unrivaled courage, resilience and poise during this ordeal, which came to an end because of broad advocacy for his release around the world.
Specifically, we would like to thank the U.S. government and numerous governments around the world, with particular gratitude to Germany; global news media organizations standing in solidarity with Evan; Evan’s vast international network of friends; and our colleagues at The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones and News Corp who supported Evan from the first hour of his captivity.
'The German government did not take this decision lightly', spokesperson says
Deborah Cole
The German government has confirmed its involvement in the exchange, saying it had been a difficult decision to release a convicted murderer in order to win others’ freedom.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said in an emailed statement that the deal had been arranged “in close and trusting cooperation with the United States and European partners” making it possible “to secure the release of 15 people who were unlawfully detained in Russia and a German national who had been sentenced to death in Belarus,” Rico Krieger.
Hebestreit said their liberation was “only possible by deporting Russian nationals with a background in intelligence who were in prison in Europe and transferring them to Russia”.
He confirmed that among them was Vadim Krasikov, “who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany after murdering a Georgian citizen in Berlin”.
“The German government did not take this decision lightly,” Hebestreit said.
He added:
The state’s interest in carrying out the prison sentence of a convicted criminal was weighed against the freedom, physical well-being and - in some cases - ultimately the lives of innocent people imprisoned in Russia and those unjustly politically imprisoned. Our duty to protect German nationals as well as solidarity with the USA were important motivations.
Germany hopes “that all those freed today will recover from their physical and psychological suffering, in the company of their family and friends,” he said.
“Our thoughts go out to all those who are still imprisoned in Russia today for expressing their opinions and telling the truth about Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Hebestreit said. “Their courage should be an example to all democrats!”
The German government called on Russia and Belarus to release “all other political prisoners who are being unjustly held”.
Politicians across western capitals are reacting with joy and relief to the prisoner exchange.
Very glad that @vkaramurza@evangershkovich and some other political prisoners held by the butcher in kremlin are being released.
We demand all political prisoners to be released from Russia’s and Belarus prisons.
I welcome the release of several people imprisoned for political reasons in Russia in exchange for Russians imprisoned abroad. However, the Russian regime continues to persecute many innocent people. Czech diplomacy will continue to fight for justice and freedom for them.
CHM @RepMcCaul issued the following statement today as wrongfully detained American citizens — including @WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, @RFERL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and U.S. permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza — are coming home to their… pic.twitter.com/vs5HJyxlxX
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority (@HouseForeignGOP) August 1, 2024
RM @RepGregoryMeeks releases statement on the Biden-Harris Administration’s securing of a multilateral prisoner exchange that has resulted in the release of Americans wrongfully detained in Russia as well as Russian dissidents and democracy activists. pic.twitter.com/z5iSykpzvK
— House Foreign Affairs Committee Dems (@HouseForeign) August 1, 2024
The mood in the Wall Street Journal newsroom: “Best day ever.”
Blinken 'grateful' to allies who made exchange possible
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has said that “Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva are on their way to the United States to reunite with their families.”
“I’m grateful for all of those who worked to secure their freedom and for our allies and partners who made this deal possible,” he added.
Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, and Alsu Kurmasheva are on their way to the United States to reunite with their families. I’m grateful for all of those who worked to secure their freedom and for our allies and partners who made this deal possible.
A spokesperson for the German government said that the decision to release the Russian assassin Vadim Krasikov was not taken lightly, noting that the obligation to protect German citizens and express solidarity with the US were important factors.
In enger Zusammenarbeit mit den USA und europäischen Partnern ist die Freilassung von 15 Personen gelungen, die unrechtmäßig in Russland in Haft waren, sowie eines Deutschen, der in Belarus zum Tode verurteilt worden war: https://t.co/2HhQpVq19B
Another dissident freed from Russian custody as part of the exchange is Russian-British citizen Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The 42-year old was detained in Moscow on 11 April 2022 and later sentenced to 25 years on treason and other trumped-up charges.
An intellectual who started as a journalist before turning to politics, Kara-Murza has compared his case to a Stalinist show trial. He previously survived what he described as two government attempts to poison him.
Vladimir Kara-Murza gestures standing in a defendant’s cage in a courtroom during the announcement of an appeal of his verdict in Moscow, Russia, on July 31, 2023. Photograph: AP
Here are more fascinating details from the Wall Street Journal about the efforts that went into the prisoner exchange.
President Biden—about an hour before he notified the world he was dropping out of the presidential race on July 21—called the prime minister of Slovenia, whose country was contributing two convicted Russian spies to the swap, to secure the pardon necessary for the deal to proceed.
CIA Director William Burns traveled to Turkey last week to meet his counterpart there and finalize the logistics for the swap.
