U.S. reporter Evan Gershkovich launched by Russia in multicountry prisoner swap

Russia is releasing Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan as a part of a significant prisoner swap with the U.S., in accordance with individuals accustomed to the scenario.

The males, jailed in Russia on espionage fees they and the U.S. deny, are en path to locations outdoors of Russia. The U.S. and its allies will return prisoners to Russia that they maintain beneath the deal, the individuals stated, asking for anonymity to debate issues that aren’t but public.

Further particulars of the trade weren’t instantly accessible. The U.S. has been in intensive talks to realize the discharge of the 2, who have been designated as wrongly detained by the State Department.

Gershkovich, 32, was arrested in March of final yr whereas on a reporting project within the Urals metropolis of Yekaterinburg and accused of spying for the CIA. He and the newspaper rejected the accusations.

He was convicted final month, the primary time for the reason that Cold War that Russia had put a U.S. reporter on trial for espionage.

Whelan, who was detained in 2018, was sentenced to 16 years in 2020 on spying fees he denied.