{"id":98610,"date":"2024-08-01T17:31:16","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T14:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/98610\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T20:10:49","slug":"krieger-released-in-major-prisoner-swap-report","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/98610\/","title":{"rendered":"Krieger released in major prisoner swap – report"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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August 1, Pozirk<\/em>.<\/strong> Rico Krieger, a German national sentenced to death in Belarus and pardoned by Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka last month, has been released in a major prisoner swap between Russia, the United States, Germany and Belarus, The Insider reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The White House confirmed that the exchange had begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to The Insider, two US nationals, Wall Street Journal<\/em> reporter Evan Gershkovich and US Marine veteran Paul Whelan, were released from Russian prisons. They had been sentenced to 16 years behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Russia is expected to free several prisoners whose persecution was widely regarded as politically motivated, including Vladimir Kara-Murza, Ilya Yashin and Andrey Pivovarov.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In return, it will receive Russians imprisoned in the USA and the European Union, including Vadim Krasikov, a Russian with links to the Federal Security Service serving a life sentence in Germany for an assassination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Turkey’s NTV <\/em>broadcast footage of a Russian plane landing in Ankara. Local journalists said live that the exchange involved 26 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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