Russia and the United States have implemented out a prisoner exchange, trading Trevor Reed, Marine veteran who held in Russian prison for nine years, for Convicted Russian drug smuggler serving long term prison sentence in United States, a senior we official The Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
Even the surprise deal was a notable diplomatic maneuver in times of Peace, but it was all more Unusual because it was done as a Russia war with Ukraine is the driver of relations with The United States to the lowest point in contracts.
as part of Exchange, Russia released Trevor Reid a former Marines of Texas who arrested in the summer of 2019 after Russian authorities said he assaulted an officer while being taken by police to a police station a night later of Excessive drinking. Reid was later sentenced to nine years in prison in prisonthough his family Keep his innocence and the United States government He was described as being unjustly detained.
The United States has agreed to return Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who is serving 20-year federation prison sentence in Connecticut for A conspiracy to smuggle cocaine to the United States after his arrest in Liberia in 2010 and delivered to the United States
Russia sought his return for years while also He rejected requests by senior US officials to release Reid, who He was approaching his 1,000th day in His care and those whose health has recently deteriorated, he said family.
a senior We are the official who He was not authorized to discuss the matter by name and spoke to the Associated Press (AP) on the condition of Anonymity, describing Reed’s case as one of “top priority” for Biden’s administration, including because of his health. The official He noted that Yaroshenko, whose sentence has now been commuted, had already serving the majority of his punishment.
“It was tough decision But one who we thought was worth on him ” official She said.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said exchange of Reed and Yaroshenko were “a result of A long negotiation process.
The prisoners were exchanged in European country. Although officials did not say where the transfer is took place in The hours Before this happened, commercial flight trackers identified a plane belonging to the Russian Federal Security Service that was on its way to Ankara, Turkey, the Associated Press reported.
US office of prisons also updated that it website Overnight to reflect that Yaroshenko is no longer in Custody. Reid was on his way back To the United States, travel with Roger Kartsins, United States government’s special Presidential envoy for hostage affairs.
The prisoner Swap marks highest- Issuance of the profile during the Biden administration of An American who is wrongly detained abroad and even comes as families of detainees who You have met over The last year with Management officials described them as being nice to the idea of exchange.
In a statement, the Reed family Thank President Joe Bidenfor make decision To bring Trevor home, along with other management officials and Bill Richardson, the former US Ambassador to the United Nations family He said he traveled to Moscow in The hours Before the Ukraine war begins in Hopes of Reid’s release insurance.
was red one of Several Americans known to be held by Russia, including the WNBA star Britney Greiner, who was arrested in February after the inspection authorities said of Her bag revealed a cannabis derivative, Michigan Corporate Security Executive Paul Whelan, who detained on espionage- Charges related to him family says fakes. It was not clear what, if any, the likely impact of Wednesday’s move would be on their cases.
Red parents rare record private Meeting with Biden and administration officials last Month. Weeks earlier, they had stood along his motorcade route during a presidential visit to Texas in Hopes of He caught his attention, then later found out outside The White House to ask for meeting.
