Moments of freedom: Prisoners arrive home after major swap between Russia and West

US and Russia completed their biggest prisoner swap since the Cold War on Thursday, in a multinational deal that set two dozen people free. The trade unfolded despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since the Cold War after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. (Photos: Agencies)

The deal, stitched together by extensive negotiations, required significant concessions from European allies, including the release of a Russian assassin, and secured freedom for a cluster of journalists, suspected spies, political prisoners, and others. Here's a list of prisoners released:

Journalist Evan Gershkovich had been detained since early 2023 and was recently sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges after Russian prosecutors accused him of gathering information on behalf of the US Central Intelligence Agency. Gershkovich, his employer the Wall Street Journal, and the US government denied the charges, insisting that he was merely performing his duties as a journalist. (Photo: Agencies)

Paul Whelan has been freed from a Russian prison after spending over five years in custody. The 54-year-old was sentenced to 16 years in 2020 following his arrest in Moscow two years prior on espionage charges. His release marks a notable success, as he had been excluded from two earlier prisoner exchanges. (Photos: Agencies)

Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva with the US government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, has been convicted of disseminating false information about the Russian military. She received a 6½-year prison sentence following a secret trial, highlighting the perilous conditions journalists face in Russia. (Photos: Agencies)

A prominent Russian opposition politician and human rights defender, Vladimir Kara-Murza, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for treason after publicly condemning Moscow’s war in Ukraine. He is a permanent resident of the US and a dual citizen of Russia and the United Kingdom. (AFP photo)

Rico Krieger, a German national, received a death sentence in Belarus last June following accusations of engaging in terrorism and mercenary activities. Krieger's background remains largely unknown, but according to the Human Rights Center "Viasna," he was employed by the German Red Cross. (Reuters photo)

Kremlin critic Ilya Yashin was sentenced to eight years and six months in December 2022. Yashin, a close ally of the late Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny, was convicted of making “false” statements about the killings of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops in Bucha, a town north of Kyiv. (Reuters file photo)

The Russian artist Alexandra Skochilenko was sentenced to seven years in jail in 2023 after replacing price tags with anti-war messages in a St Petersburg grocery store as an act of protest. Her case highlights the severe penalties faced by those who oppose the Russian government’s policies. (Reuters photo)

Krasikov was convicted of killing Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old Georgian who had fought Russian troops in Chechnya and later sought asylum in Germany, with a silencer-equipped handgun. Krasikov's release became a significant point of contention in the negotiations due to the high-profile nature of his crime. (Reuters photo)

Vladislav Klyushin was convicted for his role in a $90 million insider trading scheme that exploited confidential information stolen from US companies via computer hacking. His release underscores the intricate nature of cybercrime and the global efforts needed to combat it. (Reuters photo)

Artem Dultsev, a Russian spy undercover as IT businessman Ludvig Gish in Slovenia, pleaded guilty to espionage and was sentenced to over a year and a half in prison, equivalent to time served. His wife, Anna Dultseva, also a Russian spy posing as art dealer Maria Rosa Mayer Munos, was similarly sentenced. (Reuters photo)