Murderer Krasikov and opposition figure Kara-Murza among 24 people exchanged between Russia and Western countries
Starting from Thursday 1 August, Russia, the United States, Germany, and three other countries are carrying out a prisoner swap. Among the 24 individuals involved in the exchange are opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, detained in the Russian Federation, and Russian murderer Vadim Krasikov who is serving his sentence in Germany.
As reported by CBS News, citing a source in the White House, as part of the accord, Russian-American radio journalist Alsa Kurmasheva, US Marines veteran Paul Whelan, and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich are reportedly going to return home.
Additionally, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian opposition figure and Washington Post columnist with dual British-Russian citizenship and a green card, is expected to arrive in the US.
At least 12 political prisoners detained in Russia are anticipated to be moved to Germany as part of the arrangement. Eight persons will be sent to Russia, the majority of them are accused or convicted due to their connections with Russian intelligence.
Vadim Krasikov, a murderer serving a life sentence in Germany for the assassination of a Chechen warlord on orders from Russian federal authorities, is one of the Russian nationals set to be exchanged.
According to CBS News, a number of US governmental institutions, including the White House, the State Department, and the Central Intelligence Agency, oversaw the exchange deal.
In recent days, the media have noticed signs of a potential large prisoner swap between several Western countries and Russia and Belarus. In particular, it has been reported that the United States, Germany, Slovenia and the United Kingdom are involved in this potential swap.
The trial of a pair of spies from Russia has ended in Slovenia, with media reporting that they are being taken for an exchange.
Self-proclaimed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko decided to pardon German citizen Rico Krieger, who had been sentenced to death for supposedly working for the "Ukrainian special services". The reasons for this step were not reported, but Krieger's pardon is also linked to the prisoner swap.