prisoner exchange

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Putin's Flouting of Norms Brings Biggest Payoff Yet

Robyn Dixon writes in the Washington Post that Russia's long-term strategy works

(Newser) - US officials and families led by President Biden celebrated the prisoner exchange that was bringing three Americans home, but Russia's leader had a victory to savor as well. President Vladimir Putin secured the release of spies, hackers, and an assassin, while seeing his long-pursued strategy succeed. "It was...

Russian Plane Crashes With 65 Ukrainian POWs Aboard

They were being moved to the border region for a prisoner exchange, Russia said

(Newser) - A military transport plane that Russia said was carrying 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war crashed Wednesday morning in a Russian region near Ukraine, and a local governor wrote on Telegram there were no survivors. The AP reports a total of 74 people were said to be aboard. Russia's foreign...

Russia, Ukraine Swap POWs in Biggest Release So Far

Deal brokered by UAE comes as Ukraine steps up strikes against Russian side of the border

(Newser) - Russia and Ukraine on Wednesday exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war in the biggest single release of captives since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian authorities said that 230 Ukrainian prisoners of war returned home in the first exchange in almost five months. Russia's Defense Ministry said that...

Trump Has Thoughts on Iran Prisoner Swap

Former president blasts 'absolutely ridiculous' deal as 5 freed Americans arrive home

(Newser) - Americans detained for years in Iran arrived home Tuesday after being freed as part of a politically risky deal that saw President Biden agree to the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets, per the AP . The prisoners landed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with clapping and cheers heard...

Gershkovich's Parents 'Optimistic' After Biden Chat

President says he's 'serious on a prisoner exchange' for detained 'WSJ' reporter in Russia

(Newser) - President Biden on Thursday said he's serious about pursuing a prisoner exchange for Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter who has been detained in Russia for more than 100 days, per the AP . The Kremlin earlier this month suggested that it was open to a possible prisoner exchange...

Russia, US Complete Drawn-Out Prisoner Swap

Biden administration exchanges Konstantin Yaroshenko for Trevor Reed

(Newser) - The Biden administration has just seen its highest-profile release of an American deemed wrongly detained abroad—courtesy of Russia. Russia and the US carried out a dramatic prisoner exchange on Wednesday, trading a Marine veteran jailed in Moscow for a convicted Russian drug trafficker serving a long prison sentence in...

After 3 Years in Iran, 'Another American Is Coming Home'

Princeton grad student Xiyue Wang, 38, released as part of prisoner exchange

(Newser) - "Another American is coming home." That was the early Saturday tweet from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, with good news for the family of Xiyue Wang, the Chinese American graduate student who's been held prisoner in Iran for more than three years. CNN and NBC News report...

What About the Other American 'Left Behind'?

Alan Gross has been imprisoned in Cuba for 5 years: Ruth Marcus

(Newser) - Regardless of where you stand on the controversy surrounding Bowe Bergdahl's release —Ruth Marcus calls herself "tentatively against the (prisoner) swap"—it serves as an argument for aiding another captive American. Alan Gross, a state department subcontractor, has been in a Cuban prison for almost five...

Taliban: Here's Video of Bergdahl Handover

Afghanistan meeting lasted less than a minute

(Newser) - The moment Bowe Bergdahl saw freedom after five years of captivity is captured in a dramatic video released by the Taliban. In the 17-minute video, a clean-shaven Bergdahl can be seen waiting in a pickup truck while Taliban soldiers stand guard in eastern Afghanistan, Reuters reports. "We told them...

5 Detainees Freed for Bergdahl Are...

...all ex-Taliban officials with ties to the organization

(Newser) - A fair exchange? The five Guantanamo Bay prisoners swapped for US soldier Bowe Bergdahl were all senior Taliban commanders who had been off the battlefield for at least a decade, the Washington Post reports. Analysts say they retain influence in the Taliban and may return to the group after spending...

Taliban Ends Talks With US Over POW Release

Army PFC Bowe Bergdahl has been held since 2009

(Newser) - The Taliban has put the kibosh on prisoner-exchange negotiations with the US, citing the "current complex political situation" in Afghanistan for ending what was considered America's best shot at securing the freedom of POW Bowe Bergdahl, a 27-year-old Idaho native who's been held captive since 2009. The...

Taliban: We'll Free Only US POW in Afghanistan If...

...it gets 5 Taliban operatives held at Gitmo in return

(Newser) - The Taliban says it's willing to free the only US prisoner of war in Afghanistan—if the US will hand over five top Taliban operatives held at Guantanamo Bay. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl (who disappeared on June 30, 2009) "is, as far as I know, in good condition,...

Syrian Rebels Free 48 Iranians in Prisoner Swap

In exchange, regime releases more than 2,000

(Newser) - Syrian rebels freed 48 Iranians held captive since August, Iranian state TV reported today, part of what appeared to be the first major prisoner swap of the civil war. The deal—reportedly coordinated by a Turkish Islamic aid group—will also involve the release of more than 2,000 held...

POW's Parents Break Silence on Potential Taliban Swap

Bowe Bergdahl's father says US is bungling his son's case

(Newser) - The US has been considering a prisoner swap with the Taliban that would free the only American prisoner of war in Afghanistan, reports the New York Times . The negotiations have apparently stalled, however, and Bowe Bergdahl's father is so fed up with the lack of progress that he's...

Gilad Shalit Healing After Isolation: Dad

Noam Shalit 'understands price we are paying' for release

(Newser) - Israel soldier Gilad Shalit is home and “happy,” but he’s still recovering from five years’ imprisonment, his father says. “In isolation,” Gilad “had no connection with his people, with his own language,” Noam Shalit told members of the media, including the Jerusalem Post...

Gilad Shalit Freed as Hamas Prisoner Exchange Begins
 5 Years Later, Gilad Shalit Free 
UPDATED
Oct 18, 2011 7:10 AM CDT

5 Years Later, Gilad Shalit Free

477 Palestinian prisoners released as part of deal

(Newser) - After more than five years as a Hamas captive in Gaza, soldier Gilad Shalit is back in Israel, a move that triggered the release of 477 Palestinian prisoners, the first wave of a total of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners being freed in exchange for the 25-year-old soldier, the Washington Post...

Israel-Hamas Prisoner Swap May Be Imminent

But German FM tight-lipped on deal to free Gilad Shalit

(Newser) - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle won’t say a word about the maybe-impending deal to free Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, afraid to jinx the proceedings. Westerwelle met with counterpart Avigdor Lieberman in Israel today, in part to discuss the prisoner swap, which German officials are brokering in Cairo. Reports are...

Hamas Releases Video of Captive Israeli Soldier

Sept. 14 footage of Shalit obtained in trade for Palestinian prisoners

(Newser) - Imprisoned Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit appears healthy and talkative in a video released to the Israeli government by his captors in exchange for 20 Palestinian prisoners. In the video, Shalit talks of wanting to return home after his 3-year detention and holds up a copy of a newspaper dated September...

Castro Offers Prisoner Swap, Talks With US

Raul promises to free dissidents in exchange for Cuban 5

(Newser) - In another sign of a potential thaw in US-Cuban relations, Raul Castro offered today to release five political dissidents if the US frees five Cubans jailed on spy charges. Castro says the prisoner swap could precede talks between himself and Barack Obama, Reuters reports. “Give us back our five...

Russia, Georgia Exchange Prisoners
Russia, Georgia
Exchange Prisoners
Aug 19, 2008 7:31 AM CDT

Russia, Georgia Exchange Prisoners

But Russian military remains in Gori as NATO meets

(Newser) - Russia and Georgia exchanged prisoners of war today in a gesture that observers hope will reduce tensions and expedite a Russian withdrawal. Fifteen Georgians and five Russians were set free, the Georgian military says. Yet despite the exchange, there was still no movement of Russian troops out of Gori or...

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