Current:Home > ContactRussia says talks possible on prisoner swap for detained U.S. reporter -TruePath Finance
Russia says talks possible on prisoner swap for detained U.S. reporter
View
Date:2025-04-15 04:04:38
MOSCOW — The Kremlin on Tuesday held the door open for contacts with the U.S. regarding a possible prisoner exchange that could potentially involve jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, but reaffirmed that such talks must be held out of the public eye.
Asked whether Monday's consular visits to Gershkovich, who has been held behind bars in Moscow since March on charges of espionage, and Vladimir Dunaev, a Russian citizen in U.S. custody on cybercrime charges, could potentially herald a prisoner swap, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow and Washington have touched on the issue.
"We have said that there have been certain contacts on the subject, but we don't want them to be discussed in public," Peskov said in a conference call with reporters. "They must be carried out and continue in complete silence."
He didn't offer any further details, but added that "the lawful right to consular contacts must be ensured on both sides."
The U.S. Ambassador to Moscow, Lynne Tracy, on Monday was allowed to visit Gershkovich for the first time since April. The U.S. Embassy did not immediately provide more information.
The 31-year-old Gershkovich was arrested in the city of Yekaterinburg while on a reporting trip to Russia. He is being held at Moscow's Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions. A Moscow court last week upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until Aug. 30.
Gershkovich and his employer deny the allegations, and the U.S. government declared him to be wrongfully detained. His arrest rattled journalists in Russia where authorities have not provided any evidence to support the espionage charges.
Gershkovich is the first American reporter to face espionage charges in Russia since September 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. Daniloff was released 20 days later in a swap for an employee of the Soviet Union's U.N. mission who was arrested by the FBI, also on spying charges.
Dunaev was extradited from South Korea on the U.S. cybercrime charges and is in detention in Ohio. Russian diplomats were granted consular access to him on Monday for the first time since his arrest in 2021, Nadezhda Shumova, the head of the Russian Embassy's consular section, said in remarks carried by the Tass news agency.
veryGood! (29692)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Team USA's Katie Moon takes silver medal in women's pole vault at Paris Olympics
- Paris Olympics live updates: Quincy Hall wins 400m thriller; USA women's hoops in action
- What polling shows about Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ new running mate
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- 'Finally:' Murdered Utah grandmother's family looks to execution for closure
- 51-year-old Andy Macdonald puts on Tony Hawk-approved Olympic skateboard showing
- Boxer Lin Yu-Ting, targeted in gender eligibility controversy, to fight for gold
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- 'Stranger Things' prequel 'The First Shadow' is headed to Broadway
Ranking
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Jay Kanter, veteran Hollywood producer and Marlon Brando agent, dies at 97: Reports
- From bitter rivals to Olympic teammates, how Lebron and Steph Curry became friends
- Southern California rocked by series of earthquakes: Is a bigger one brewing?
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Breaking debut in Olympics raises question: Are breakers artists or athletes?
- Man charged with murder in death of beloved Detroit-area neurosurgeon
- IOC's decision to separate speed climbing from other disciplines paying off
Recommendation
Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
Paris Olympics live updates: Quincy Hall wins 400m thriller; USA women's hoops in action
Kourtney Kardashian Cradles 9-Month-Old Son Rocky in New Photo
Average rate on 30
Colin Farrell Details Son James' Battle With Rare Neurogenetic Disorder
Debby Drenched the Southeast. Climate Change Is Making Storms Like This Even Wetter
Harris and Walz are showing their support for organized labor with appearance at Detroit union hall