USA and Russia exchange prisoners

Secret service surgery

Secret service: USA and Russia exchange prisoners

After the big prisoner exchange in August, Moscow and Washington once again released two detainees. A double national in Russia and a arrested Russian from the United States are free.

The United States and Russia have set up two imprisoned people in a new prisoner exchange in Abu Dhabi. The “Wall Street Journal”, citing CIA director John Ratcliffe, reported that the double nationality Xenia Karelina, convicted of twelve years in prison, was again freedom. This was confirmed by her Russian lawyer Mikhail Muschailow from the Moscow news agency Interfax.

In return, the dual national Artur Petrov was released, which was set in Cyprus in 2023 after an arrest warrant from the United States due to violations of the trade in microelectronics. According to the “Wall Street Journal”, the man also has a German passport in addition to the Russian.

The exchange took place at Abu Dhabi’s international airport, Moscow thanks to the United Arab Emirates for the intermediary role, the Russian domestic secret service FSB later said. After his delivery to the United States in 2024, Petrov threatened 20 years in prison for violations of export laws, the FSB said. Karelina, on the other hand, was pardoned this month shortly before her release by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.

The exchange shows how important it is despite the major challenges in bilateral relationships to keep communication channels open with Russia, the “Wall Street Journal” quoted a CIA spokeswoman. “While we are disappointed that other Americans are incorrectly imprisoned in Russia, we see this asa as a positive step and continue to work on their release,” she said.

Karelina was convicted of a court in Jekaterinburg on the Urals last year for alleged treason. The judgment was made because Xenia Karelina, who lives in the US metropolis Los Angeles Los Angeles, is said to have collected money for a Ukrainian aid organization and thus worked against Russia’s security. Accordingly, Karelina is said to have raised donations for an organization, which then purchased material for the Ukrainian armed forces. It is said to have been the sum of $ 52 (around 47 euros).

Russia and the United States had repeatedly exchanged prisoners in the past. Kremlin chief Putin recently had imprisoned Russian criminals in the United States on August 1st by an exchange against Americans. Among the US citizens released by Russia was the journalist Evan Gershkovich, convicted of espionage. In the course of the prisoner exchange, in which seven states, including Germany, were involved, the so -called zoo killer, condemned in Berlin, was released.