Evan Gershkovich, a Jewish Wall Street Journal reporter, was one of four U.S. citizens and permanent residents released in a prisoner exchange between Russia, the United States and several other Western countries on Thursday as part of a 24-person swap.
Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who was first arrested in Moscow in 2018; Alsu Kurmasheva, a Russian-American journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a U.S. permanent resident and prominent Russian opposition leader, were also released.
Eleven other foreign nationals and Russian dissidents were released from Russia, as was a German national held in Belarus, as part of the deal.
In exchange, the United States, Germany, Slovenia, Norway and Poland released eight convicted or accused Russian spies and agents, including a man convicted in Germany of murdering a former Chechen separatist in Berlin in 2019.
U.S. President Joe Biden thanked the countries who made the deal possible. “For anyone who questions whether allies matter, they do,” Biden said on Thursday. “Today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world—friends you can trust, work with and depend upon, especially on matters of great consequence and sensitivity like this.”
“It says a lot about the United States that we work relentlessly to free Americans who are unjustly held around the world,” Biden added. “It also says a lot about us that this deal includes the release of Russian political prisoners.”
“They stood up for democracy and human rights,” he said. “Their own leaders threw them in prison. The United States helped secure their release as well. That’s who we are in the United States.”
Jewish groups welcomed the release of Gershkovich—whom Russia arrested on espionage charges, which the Journal and the U.S. government said were a sham—and the other prisoners.
“Since the arrest of Evan Gershkovich in March 2023, Jewish Federations have been active in advocating for his release, including a letter-writing campaign in which nearly 3,000 people sent Rosh Hashanah wishes to Evan Gershkovich,” the Jewish Federations of North America stated.
“Today, Federations are overjoyed and relieved at the news of Evan’s release, along with the release of Paul Whalen and other political prisoners,” the Jewish Federations stated.
“Evan, our community has been incomplete without you. Welcome home,” the Jewish umbrella group added.
Gershkovich, Whelan, Kurmasheva and Kara-Murza are slated to arrive at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington, D.C. at around 11:30 p.m., when Biden is scheduled to greet them.
