Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and U.S. Marine Paul Whelan are finally coming home after being wrongly imprisoned in Russia, according to a report.
CBS News said U.S. and Russian officials have agreed to release Gershkovich and Whelan as part of a swap involving up to 24 political prisoners around the world.
As you know, Gershkovich was arrested on espionage charges by Russian authorities while covering a 2023 story for the WSJ in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. U.S. officials condemned his imprisonment, calling the charges illegitimate.
Still, Gershkovich was convicted of spying by a Russian court and sentenced to 16 years in prison.
X/@BBCSteveR
Similarly, Whelan was also charged with spying after he was captured by Russian police in 2018 while he tried to attend a wedding in Moscow for a fellow marine. American leaders blasted their Russian counterparts for the bogus arrest – but Whelan remained in custody.
But all that will soon be history now that Whelan and Gershkovich got their Get Out of Jail Free cards.
In exchange, the U.S. will reportedly release four Russians detained in The States on charges of cybercrime, smuggling, money laundering, and other offenses.
