American reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan had been amongst 4 former prisoners launched from Russia yesterday who lastly stepped foot on American soil once more Thursday evening.
A airplane carrying the Individuals freed by Russia in the course of the giant prisoner swap landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, greeted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on the tarmac.
“Welcome home,” Biden informed reporters on the tarmac after visiting with the freed prisoners. “There’s nothing beyond our capacity if we work together. Nothing…we’re the United States of America.”
BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE PRISONER SWAP TO FREE WSJ REPORTER EVAN GERSHKOVICH FROM RUSSIAN PRISON
Evan Gershkovich adopted by his mom Ella Milman, smiles as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on August 1, 2024. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Wall Avenue Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, veteran Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva had been the three freed Individuals, in addition to American green-card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza.
The quartet of launched prisoners didn’t converse to reporters, however somewhat had been greeted and hugged by family members. Gershkovich was seen hugging a number of folks, many who might have been colleagues from the Wall Avenue Journal. The newly-released prisoners are actually scheduled to fly to San Antonio, Texas, for additional medical analysis.
Whereas addressing reporters, Harris stepped in and stated, “This is an extraordinary day. I’m very thankful for our president and what he has done. This is an incredible day, and you can see it in the families.”
President Joe Biden greets Paul Whelan, who was launched from detention in Russia, upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., August 1, 2024. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)
Gershkovich, a 32-year-old reporter for the Wall Avenue Journal, was arrested on March 29, 2023, whereas reporting on a visit to the Ural Mountains metropolis of Yekaterinburg. He was accused of espionage.
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Whelan was jailed in December 2018 for espionage-related prices that he and the U.S. authorities disputed from the start.
Within the swap of 24 prisoners throughout a number of nations, Russia negotiated the discharge of eight prisoners who had been in U.S. custody in change for the discharge of the Individuals.
The launched prisoners who had been beforehand held captive within the U.S. had been Vadim Krasikov from Germany; Artem Viktorovich Dultsev from Slovenia; Anna Valerevna Dultseva from Slovenia; Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin from Norway; Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov from Poland; Roman Seleznev from the U.S.; Vladislav Klyushin from the U.S.; and Vadim Konoshchenock from the U.S.
