The situation of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, who is currently serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian penal colony, may soon be subject to a potential prisoner swap between Russia and the U.S., alongside Germany. According to the well-informed Politika.Kozlov political newsletter, between 20 to 30 political prisoners and journalists in captivity in Russia are reportedly on the brink of being released in what could potentially be the largest prisoner exchange since the end of the Cold War.
Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March 2023 while on a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg. The Russian government accused him of collaborating with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), charges that both Gershkovich and the WSJ vehemently denied. Subsequently, he was sentenced in July to 16 years in a high-security penal colony, marking him as the first U.S. journalist to be convicted for espionage since the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s.
Following Gershkovich’s sentencing, President Joe Biden issued a statement asserting Gershkovich’s innocence and attributing his prosecution to being a journalist and an American. Speculation within some well-informed media and diplomatic circles suggested that the swiftness of his trial hinted at the possibility of a prisoner exchange already being in the works.
Other individuals purportedly included in Politika.Kozlov’s list of potential releasees are Russian-UK political activist and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza, as well as U.S. national and former marine Paul Whelan. It is also worth noting that the most recent prisoner exchange between Russia and the U.S. occurred in December 2022, involving the release of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner in return for arms dealer Viktor Bout’s freedom, who was serving a minimum 25-year sentence in the U.S. at the time.
Upon Griner’s release, President Biden expressed disappointment that Whelan was not part of the exchange, highlighting the ongoing plight of American citizens detained in Russian penitentiaries. Griner herself vowed to persist in advocating for the liberation of her fellow compatriots still held in Russian custody.