U.S President, Joe Biden has said that he has a great sense of gratitude to German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz for the just announced prisoner exchange.
Biden acknowledged that such prisoner swaps “come with tough calls.”
He revealed that the deal required him to get “some serious concessions from Germany.”
Biden made this statement at the White House while joined by relatives of the freed Americans.
The U.S. president says he and the families had spoken to their relatives by phone from the Oval Office minutes before he addressed the nation from the White House State Room.
The prisoner exchange was hailed by many including U.S Vice President, Kamala Harris.
The German government confirmed its involvement in the exchange, saying it had been a difficult decision to release a convicted murderer in order to win others’ freedom.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s spokesman, Steffen Hebestreit, said in an emailed statement that the deal had been arranged “in close and trusting cooperation with the United States and European partners” making it possible to secure the release of 15 people who were unlawfully detained in Russia and Rico Krieger, a German national who had been sentenced to death in Belarus.
Hebestreit said that their liberation was “only possible by deporting Russian nationals with a background in intelligence who were in prison in Europe and transferring them to Russia.”
He confirmed that among them was Vadim Krasikov, “who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Germany after murdering a Georgian citizen in Berlin.”
“The German government did not take this decision lightly,” Hebestreit said.
“The state’s interest in carrying out the prison sentence of a convicted criminal was weighed against the freedom, physical well-being and – in some cases – ultimately the lives of innocent people imprisoned in Russia and those unjustly politically imprisoned. Our duty to protect German nationals as well as solidarity with the USA were important motivations.”
Steffen Hebestreit
He added that Germany hopes “that all those freed today will recover from their physical and psychological suffering, in the company of their family and friends.”
“Our thoughts go out to all those who are still imprisoned in Russia today for expressing their opinions and telling the truth about Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
“Their courage should be an example to all democrats!”
Steffen Hebestreit
The German government called on Russia and Belarus to release “all other political prisoners who are being unjustly held.”
“A Bitter Aftertaste”
Meanwhile, Amnesty International noted that it’s relieved by the release of prisoners held by Russia, but the exchange leaves “a bitter aftertaste.”
The Deputy Secretary General of Amnesty’s German branch, Christian Mihr, said in a statement that “a murderer and other criminals who were convicted in a fair trial are now coming free in exchange for people who only used their right to freedom of expression.”
“Therefore, the prisoner swap is also a step toward expanding impunity,” he said.
He argued that the Russian government could feel encouraged to carry out further political detentions and human rights violations without having to fear consequences.
Republicans in the Senate also welcomed the news but pointed out the deal came at a cost for the U.S.
Sen. Jim Risch, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement, “While I am glad to see the return of these wrongfully detained Americans, we must not forget those who were left behind: Marc Fogel and Ksenia Karelina.”
He added, “The United States paid a steep price for this exchange, as those returning to Russia are some of Putin’s most valuable assets who will be glad to return to their villainous ways.”
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