On August 1st, one of the largest prisoner swap deals between the US, Western countries, and Russia since the Cold War was executed in Turkey, according to the Turkish presidency. The deal involved the release of at least 26 prisoners from various countries. 

The Turkish statement noted that the swap, facilitated by Turkey's MIT intelligence service, included prisoners from the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Belarus, and Russia. This significant diplomatic manoeuvre highlights Turkey's role in brokering complex international negotiations. 

MIT stated, "A prisoner exchange operation will take place today under the coordination of our organisation. Our organisation has undertaken a major mediation role in this exchange operation, which is the most comprehensive of the recent period." 

Among those released were Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, who had been sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court on espionage charges, and former US Marine Paul Whelan, who was also detained in Russia on similar charges. The swap marked a significant diplomatic achievement, highlighting the role of Turkey's MIT in facilitating the exchange. Both Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan, along with the US government, have described the charges against them as fabricated. 

US President Joe Biden hailed the prisoner swap as “a feat of diplomacy.” He emphasised the significance of the deal by stating, “Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over.” 

The Turkish presidency reported that the swap involved the transfer of 10 prisoners, including two minors, to Russia; 13 prisoners to Germany; and three prisoners to the US. This exchange underscores the complex international negotiations facilitated by Turkey’s MIT. 

The Turkish National Intelligence Agency (MIT) stated, "Our organisation has undertaken a major mediation role in this exchange operation, which is the most comprehensive of the recent period." 

According to flight tracking site Flightradar24, a special Russian government plane, previously used for a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia, was seen travelling from Moscow to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which borders Poland and Lithuania, before returning to the Russian capital. This flight path highlights the logistical aspects of the prisoner exchange process. 

Reuters footage revealed that a Russian government plane was seen on the ground in Ankara, the Turkish capital. This sighting was part of the logistical arrangements for the extensive prisoner swap facilitated by Turkey. 

On 31st July, a lawyer for Alexander Vinnik, a Russian detained in the United States, chose not to confirm Vinnik's whereabouts to the state RIA news agency until the exchange was officially completed. 

RIA also reported that four Russians previously imprisoned in the US had vanished from the Federal Bureau of Prisons' database. The individuals mentioned were Vinnik, Maxim Marchenko, Vadim Konoshchenok, and Vladislav Klyushin. 

In Russia, dissidents including opposition politician Ilya Yashin, human rights activist Oleg Orlov, and Daniil Krinari, convicted of covertly collaborating with foreign governments, were reportedly moved recently. Supporters in the West view these individuals as wrongful political prisoners, though Moscow has labelled them as dangerous extremists. 

Among those Moscow has indicated an interest in is Vadim Krasikov, a Russian national serving a life sentence in Germany for the murder of an exiled Chechen-Georgian dissident in a Berlin park. 

In a related development, a Slovenian court sentenced two Russians on Wednesday to time served for espionage and using fake identities. According to the state news agency STA, the court also ordered their deportation. Slovenian TV reports suggested that this sentencing and deportation are part of the broader prisoner exchange arrangement. 

Image Source: ABP News