photo: ura.news
The agreement allowed for the release of 16 people detained in Russia and Belarus in exchange for 10 Russians imprisoned in the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Norway. While Amnesty International France hailed the deal as a "victory for democracy", the organisation's German branch condemned it as "a step towards extending judicial impunity".
While Western countries welcome the release of the prisoners as part of a historic exchange with Russia, Amnesty International says the deal has a "bitter aftertaste". The release of an FSB agent convicted of murder in Germany has drawn criticism from the organisation and the victim's family. In a press release, the NGO's German branch condemned the "move to extend judicial impunity".
The United States also revealed that Alexei Navalny might have been on the list had he not died in prison. Businessman, liberal, oppositionist, blogger and ultranationalist Alexei Navalny died on Friday, February 16, in the Charp prison colony in the Polar Urals. The former anti-corruption activist was serving a 19-year sentence for "extremism" and nine years for fraud after his imprisonment in 2021.
It was transported to this remote Arctic location in November 2023 from the Vladimir region northeast of Moscow. A known opponent of Russian President Vladimir Putin could thus be included in a deal between Moscow and several Western countries that led to the release of 16 people in exchange for 10 Russians on Thursday.
Prisoners are "used as bargaining chips" by Vladimir Putin.
"The murderer and other criminals convicted in a fair trial have now been released in exchange for people who merely exercised their right to freedom of expression," Christian Mihr, deputy secretary-general of Amnesty Germany, said in a statement. Among the Westerners released by Moscow are US journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan, who has been imprisoned in Russia since late 2018.
Amnesty said it was "relieved" by the releases, but believes the deal could encourage the Russian government to "continue political arrests and human rights violations without fear of repercussions". Prisoners "are being used by Vladimir Putin as bargaining chips to advance his interests", the organisation continued.
For the US side, Evan Gershkovich, Wall Street Journal correspondent.
in Moscow. He was arrested in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg and became the first Western journalist to be tried for espionage in Russia since the end of the Cold War. Also on trial were former Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmashova. They were greeted by relatives, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
On the German side, Kevin Lik, a 19-year-old Russian-German citizen convicted of "treason", Patrick Schoebel, a tourist accused of drug trafficking, German Moïjes, a Russian-German lawyer, and Dieter Voronin, a Russian-German political scientist, were released. Also among those released are two of Alexei Navalny's colleagues, Lilia Chanicheva and Ksenia Fadeyeva, as well as the artist Alexandra Skotchilenko, arrested in Russia in 2022 for replacing supermarket price tags with messages condemning the offensive against Ukraine, and the young Russian-German artist Kevin Lik.
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