U.S. journalist Evan Gershkovich and former Marine Paul Whelan are anticipated to be released in a groundbreaking prisoner swap with Russia, according to multiple reports.
Whelan has been imprisoned since 2018 under convictions of espionage, claims that he and his family have consistently denied. The U.S. government has classified him as “wrongfully detained,” yet previous negotiations for his release were unsuccessful, even as American Trevor Reed and WNBA star Brittney Griner were freed in separate exchanges last year. Whelan is currently serving a 16-year sentence.
Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was arrested in March 2023 in Yekaterinburg, facing accusations of gathering classified military information on behalf of the United States. His detention marked a historic moment, as he became the first American journalist held in Russia since the Cold War. In July, he was sentenced to 16 years in prison. The Biden administration, alongside press freedom advocates and his employer, has condemned the charges against him as unfounded and called for his release.
Bloomberg was the first to report on the anticipated exchange, citing sources who wished to remain anonymous.
President Biden has previously expressed his willingness to consider a prisoner swap to secure Gershkovich’s freedom, a strategy he employed successfully when negotiating Griner’s release in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, known as the “Merchant of Death.”
As discussions surrounding the exchange unfold, the situation remains closely monitored by various stakeholders in the U.S. and abroad.
