Signs that prisoner exchange between Russia and the West is imminent

A police car enters the premises of the Sverdlovsk Yekaterinburg Regional Court before a hearing in the case against Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter Evan Gershkovich in Yekaterinburg, Russia - Photo: EPA.

The prisoners disappeared

Some prisoners have been transferred to other detention facilities without informing their relatives and lawyers, according to human rights activists. The number of prisoners transferred in recent days - at least 7.

"We all hope that these are positive signs," said Ivan Pavlov, a prominent human rights lawyer who now lives in Prague. "We hope that they (the authorities) have taken them all out of prison to gather them in one place, to prepare for an exchange."

Mr Pavlov said the prisoners were most likely taken to Lefortovo Prison in Moscow. Russian officials would then need to formally pardon them before they could be flown to a European destination, which Mr Pavlov said was likely Germany.

Reports of the prisoner transfer come after American journalist Evan Gershkovich was convicted of espionage on July 19, a charge he denies.

Mr Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison and Russia has confirmed that talks about a possible swap have taken place. Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), was also convicted in a trial the same day and sentenced to six and a half years in prison for spreading false information about the Russian military. Ms Kurmasheva denies wrongdoing.

When asked about the possibility of a prisoner swap involving Mr. Gershkovich on July 30 (local time), the Kremlin declined to comment.

Several other US citizens are being held in Russia, including Paul Whelan, a former Marine convicted of espionage — a charge he denies — and Marc Fogel, who was convicted on drug charges.

Meanwhile, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia, on July 30 pardoned Rico Krieger, a German citizen sentenced to death for terrorism, which was widely reported in the country's media.

Prisoner exchange talks

Among the individuals Moscow has signaled it would like in return for any exchange with the West is Russian citizen Vadim Krasikov, who is serving a life sentence in Germany for murder.

The United States is also holding at least two Russian citizens, Vladimir Dunaev and Roman Seleznev, convicted of serious cybercrime charges, and they could be part of the swap, according to Reuters.

Human rights lawyer Pavlov predicted the exchange would be carried out in secret. "The most important thing is that they (those detained in Russia) will be freed," said Mr. Pavlov.

Reaction From All Sides

Although there are many signs that a prisoner exchange may be imminent, there is currently no official information from Russian and Western authorities about this.

However, human rights activists and families of detainees hope that these signs will lead to freedom for those unjustly detained.

The disappearance of prisoners from Russian prisons could be a sign that a prisoner exchange between Russia and the West is underway, although there is no official information yet.

Nguyen Quang Minh (According to Reuters)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/reuters-dau-hieu-cho-thay-trao-doi-tu-nhan-giua-nga-va-phuong-tay-sap-dien-ra-204240731111257989.htm