How Evan Gershkovich Was Freed In 19 Incredible Pictures

Three Americans, including journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva, and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, landed back on American soil overnight after a landmark prisoner exchange with Russia.

This swap deal involving 24 people, the largest since the post-Soviet era, took place despite heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Emotional Reunion in Maryland

The freed Americans arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland shortly before midnight. They were greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and their families.

President Biden celebrated the release as a significant diplomatic victory, stating: “Deals like this one come with tough calls… There’s nothing that matters more to me than protecting Americans at home and abroad.”

Taken Captive

Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained in Russia in March 2023 on espionage charges that both he and the US government deny.

Whelan, detained since 2018, was also accused of espionage, and Alsu Kurmasheva, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist, was convicted in July of disseminating false information about the Russian military.

The swap also included the release of several Russian dissidents, such as Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and Kremlin critic, Oleg Orlov, a human rights campaigner, and Ilya Yashin, an opponent of the Ukraine war.

The deal, however, required concessions from European allies, including the release of Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin serving a life sentence in Germany. He was guilty of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow’s security services.

Negotiations Begin

The negotiations for the swap began amid strained US-Russia relations. Initially, there was consideration of including Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the exchange, but his death in February shifted the focus to the 24-person deal.

This exchange required significant diplomatic effort, with participation from six countries.

Backchannel Diplomacy

Backchannel communications played a critical role in the success of the negotiations. According to several reports, secret talks were held in various locations, including Ankara, Turkey, where the final agreement was brokered. These discussions allowed negotiators to bypass official diplomatic channels, enabling more candid conversations about potential concessions and compromises.

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan played a pivotal role in the negotiations, leading a team that engaged in numerous rounds of dialogue with Russian counterparts. Sullivan described the process as “the culmination of many rounds of complex, painstaking negotiations over many, many months.”

A Diplomatic Feat

Biden trumpted the exchange, by far the largest in a series of swaps with Russia, as a diplomatic feat while welcoming families of the returning Americans to the White House.

“Today is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world,” the President said.

Concerns and Criticisms

While the exchange has been praised for bringing wrongfully detained Americans home, it has also drawn criticism for potentially incentivizing future hostage-taking.

Critics argue that such deals could encourage adversaries to use American citizens as bargaining chips, The Associated Press reported. However, Roger Carstens, the US government’s top hostage negotiator, defended the strategy, emphasizing that these swaps have led to a decrease in the number of wrongfully detained Americans abroad.

It is also the case that the deal, like others before it, reflected an innate imbalance: The US and allies gave up Russians charged or conviction of serious crimes in exchange for Russia releasing journalists, dissidents and others imprisoned by the country’s highly politicized legal system on charges seen by the West as trumped-up.

The Biden administration has now brought home more than 70 Americans detained in other countries as part of deals.

Reunited With Families

The Gershkovich family said in a statement released by The Wall Street Journal: “We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close.”

Whelan’s family said in a statement: “Paul Whelan is free. Our family is grateful to the United States government for making Paul’s freedom a reality.”

The three flew from Maryland to Texas and landed at Joint Base San Antonio early Friday to begin medical evaluations.