Families of three Americans recently released from Russian custody reunited early Friday at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.
A historic prisoner deal saw the U.S. and allies secure the release of 16 political prisoners including former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, American journalists Alsu Kurmasheva and Evan Gershkovich, and permanent resident and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Vladimir Kara-Murza. Russia in exchange received eight individuals.
Earlier in the day, the relatives flanked President Joe Biden as he announced. “Today we’re bringing home Paul, Evan, also Vladimir.”
Waiting for Kurmasheva are her husband, Pavel Butorin, and the couple’s daughters, Bibi and Miriam.
Speaking briefly with VOA before they left for Andrews air base, Butorin told VOA, “Today our daughters witnessed really a historic act of resolve and compassion, really, by the U.S. government and its allies.”
The mass swap demonstrates “that the free world places a higher value on human life and family,” said Butorin, wearing a Free Alsu pin and friendship bracelet.
On a sofa close by, the couple’s daughters chatted cheerfully, an air of excitement surrounding the family after a months-long ordeal.
News of the safe return of Kurmasheva and Gershkovich was greeted with an outpouring of joy by their media outlets and support groups.
The newsroom of The Wall Street Journal erupted in cheers and applause as editor in chief Emma Tucker announced their Moscow correspondent was coming home. The ticker on their New York building read: “Finally Free.”
Gershkovich had spent more than 490 days in prison on trumped-up charges.
And the heads of the U.S. Agency for Global Media and its networks Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty all issued statements welcoming the safe return of RFE/RL editor Kurmasheva.
Biden spoke Thursday with the leaders of Turkey, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Germany to thank them for their assistance during the complex negotiations.
Vice President Kamala Harris earlier in the day spoke with Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexey Navalny. Three of the late Russian opposition leader’s colleagues were among those freed.
Afterward, Harris told reporters that those freed had “shown incredible courage” and called their detention “an appalling perversion of justice.”
Her opponent in the presidential election, former President Donald Trump, however, criticized the deal, saying on Truth Social, “Our ‘negotiators’ are always an embarrassment to us!”
State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters, “While today is a good day, the work doesn’t stop.”
Addressing Americans “who continue to be wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world,” Patel said the administration will “continue to work tirelessly around the clock to do everything” to ensure they too are brought home.
Former American hostage and basketball player Brittney Griner welcomed the return of others who, like her, had been unjustly detained in Russia.
“Every day that the Americans come home, that’s a victory,” Griner told Reuters after she and Team USA won against Belgium at the Olympics.
Griner spent 10 months in prison in Russia after being stopped with medically prescribed marijuana. She pleaded guilty to charges of possessing and smuggling illegal drugs but insisted she had made an “honest mistake.”
In her case, she was released in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner said the newly released Americans will have access to a strong support system on their return to the United States.
“They have an amazing group of people that are going to help them out in any way they need, them and their families,” she said. “I’m glad that I was able to go through that program and get reacclimated back into everyday life.”
As the U.S. and German leaders greeted their returning residents, President Vladimir Putin was filmed welcoming the Russians exchanged for the 16 political prisoners.
Analysts say the Russian leader will use the deal as part of his propaganda.
Sergei Davidis is the head of the Political Prisoners Support Program and a member of the board at the Russian human rights group Memorial.
Memorial’s co-chair, Oleg Orlov, is among the political prisoners freed Thursday.
Davidis told VOA the swap will be used by Putin.
“His propaganda will later present it as ‘a present’ for the people from the authorities,” Davidis told VOA, adding that Putin is “not obliged to be accountable to anybody.”
Media watchdogs who had long advocated for the journalists to be freed, celebrated their safe return.
“We look forward to once again reading and hearing the stories that each of these journalists bring to light,” Bruce Brown, executive director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, said in a statement.
Rebecca Vincent of media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, noted that neither Kurmasheva nor Gershkovich “should have spent a single day in a Russian prison for doing their jobs.”
“We emphasize that journalists are not targets and must not be used as political pawns in this way,” she added.
And Jodie Ginsberg, of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said while the release is welcome, “it does not change the fact that Russia continues to suppress a free press.”
“Moscow needs to release all jailed journalists and end its campaign of using in absentia arrest warrants and sentences against exiled Russian journalists,” she said in a statement.
Russia in recent months has issued dozens of arrest warrants and convictions in absentia to journalists in exile or who report critically on the Kremlin and war in Ukraine.
Olga Pavlova contributed to this report.
