List of prisoners and countries involved in the international exchange of detainees

The United States and Russia have agreed to a historic prisoner exchange, including twenty-six nationals, among them US citizens Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. The deal was made public on Thursday, August 1, representing the largest exchange between the two countries since the Cold War.

Turkey supported the negotiations, and its Ankara Esenboğa Airport was the site of the exchange. Nationals from the United States, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, and Norway were released by Russia.

In total, eight Russian nationals will be returned:

Pablo González Yagüe, is one of the highest profile on the list. Yagüe was arrested in Poland by authorities who accused him of acting as a Russian agent within the country. His arrest came a few days after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, a conflict he had covered in his capacity as a journalist. Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement shortly after his arrest expressing concern that he was being persecuted for his work as a journalist. Additionally, Poland’s decision to keep him incommunicado and without a trial has raised concerns among Spanish officials and media as he is a dual national.

Additionally, the President of Slovenia, Robert Golob, had to agree to pardon two Russian nationals who had pled guilty to charges related to espionage. A couple, Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva, the two nationals have been released into Russian custody after today’s exchange.

Norway was also involved, after authorities there arrested Mikhail Mikushin in 2022.

Russia’s political prisoners

Additionally, various Russian political prisoners were included in the exchange and will be sent to various countries, though their exact locations have not been made public as that could make them a target. One of the prisoners who will be released is, Ilya Yashi a Russian political opposition leader who, until his arrest on July 27, 2022, served as the Chairman of the Council of Deputies of Krasnoselsky district.

From the United States, four prisoners will be released from Russia:

The cases of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan have been widely covered in the press. However, that of Kurmasheva and Kara-Murza may be less well-known.

Kurmasheva is a Russian-American journalist who has worked for the publically funded Radio Free Europe. In October 2023, she was detained for failing to register as a foreign agent, which, if tried, could have carried a sentence of five years in prison. Like the case of Yagüe, the Center to Protect Journalists raised questions about her arrest.

Lastly, five German nationals are on the list: Demuri Voronin, Kevin Lik, Rico Krieger, Patrick Schoebel, and German Moyzhes. Rico Krieger’s case is one of the most severe. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko pardoned Krieger a few days before the exchange after he was sentenced to death for charges related to terrorism. The charges against Patrick Schoebel, which were drug violations for attempting to bring cannabis gummy bears into the country, highlight the differing levels of charges brought against those included in the swap.