Russia guidelines out prisoner swap talks earlier than verdict in reporter’s case

Russia could also be keen to debate a prisoner swap for detained Wall Road Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, however solely after a Russian courtroom points a verdict on the allegation that he was working as a spy, a prime Russian diplomat mentioned Thursday.

Russian Deputy International Minister Sergey Ryabkov advised Russia’s state-run information company Tass that talks a couple of potential prisoner swap “might be examined solely after a courtroom delivers its verdict.”

The case of Gershkovich, who was detained in Russia on allegations of spying final month, has made nationwide headlines, with the White Home, lawmakers, his household and media retailers pushing for his swift launch. The U.S. has repeatedly denied the allegations that Gershkovich was working as a spy.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken advised his Russian counterpart to instantly launch Gershkovich in a uncommon dialog between the 2 officers final week.

Ryabkov mentioned any negotiations for a prisoner swap would undergo a channel that Russian and U.S. officers have established for such talks, noting that his nation was not eager about permitting different international locations to enter the negotiations.

“We’re completely not on this,” Ryabkov mentioned. “We’ve a functioning channel, previously it was used to succeed in particular agreements; these agreements have been applied so third international locations don’t play a component right here.”

The U.S. authorities declared Gershkovich as “wrongfully detained” earlier this week, which opens the best way for a strong inter-agency effort to safe his launch.

Experiences additionally emerged this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally authorized the reporter’s arrest.

The U.S. and Russia in December agreed to a prisoner swap that freed ladies’s basketball star Brittney Griner from Russian custody final 12 months in alternate for a infamous Russian arms seller who was imprisoned in America.

Officers have additionally been working to safe the discharge of Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who has been detained in Russia since 2018 on allegations of spying. He was handed a 16-year jail sentence in 2020.