Exchange of U.S. citizen Gershkovich convicted of espionage likely to be possible after his sentence takes legal effect - Russian Human Rights Council member
MOSCOW. July 31 (Interfax) - The exchanges of foreign citizens convicted in Russia, such as The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a United States citizen convicted of espionage, most often occur after their sentences handed down by courts enter into legal effect, Russian Presidential Human Rights Council member Eva Merkacheva told Interfax.
"In most cases, in other words, when referring to the usual practice, it [happens] when a sentence enters into legal effect. In other words, a person is convoyed from a penitentiary, everything happens via the Lefortovo pre-trial detention facility, and then they're being exchanged," Merkacheva said, answering a question whether the sentence needs to take effect for Gershkovich's possible exchange.
At that, she pointed out that this matter depends on the existing agreements and could be resolved at any stage.
She also commented on information on the possible "big exchange" of prisoners between Russia and foreign countries reports on which have been recently appearing in various media and described this event, should it occur, as "unique."
"As for this possible swap, if it suddenly turns out that it is happening after all, one can say that it is unique. It's unique not because a large group of people could be exchanged at once, such thing has already happened, but because the Russian citizens who have not renounced their citizenship could end up on the lists [to be swapped]," Merkacheva said.
Only the extradition of scientist Igor Sutyagin, convicted of treason, could be considered a similar case in Russia's history after the collapse of the Soviet Union, she said. In 2010, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed decrees pardoning 20 people, including Sutyagin. He became a participant in the exchange for ten Russians detained by the U.S. authorities as unregistered agents working for Russia.
"The foreigners themselves proposed to exchange him, he agreed and ended up abroad this way. But it was an isolated case," Merkacheva said.
"The [Russian] President [Vladimir Putin] said that such matters like silence, perhaps, this is why representatives of the authorities are not giving us any official comments. I believe it's right," she said.
On July 19, 2024, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court sentenced Gershkovich to 16 years in a high-security prison for espionage.
The U.S. authorities repeatedly said earlier that they would seek Gershkovich's return home.
Recently, the media reported that a number of convicts, who were earlier mentioned in the context of a possible prisoner swap, were transferred from Russian penitentiaries.