Russia says talks possible on prisoner swap for detained U.S. reporter

Russia is in potential discussions with the U.S. regarding a possible prisoner exchange involving detained Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, and a Russian citizen held by the U.S., Vladimir Dunaev.

Setting it up: Gershkovich has been detained in Moscow since March on espionage charges which both the reporter and his employer deny.
* The 31-year-old was arrested while on a reporting trip in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
* Gershkovich’s arrest has caused concern among journalists in Russia where no evidence has been provided to support the espionage charges.

The Russian detention: Dunaev, a Russian citizen, is in U.S custody on cybercrime charges.
* He was extradited from South Korea and is presently in detention in Ohio.
* Russian diplomats were granted their first consular access to Dunaev on Monday since his arrest in 2021.

The Diplomatic angle: U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, was permitted to visit Gershkovich on Monday, the first visit since April.
* Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that discussions regarding a possible prisoner swap would continue “in complete silence.”

Historical context: Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986.
* In 1986, Nicholas Daniloff was arrested by the KGB and released 20 days later in a swap for a Soviet Union’s U.N. mission employee who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges.

View original article on NPR

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