American journalist Evan Gershkovich and former soldier Paul Whelan, along with several Russian dissidents, were released from Russian captivity in an exchange facilitated by Turkey.
But among those that Russia received in exchange was Vadim Krasikov, a Russian citizen who was imprisoned for the murder of a former Chechen rebel leader in the large city park Tiergarten in the middle of Berlin.
Christian Mihr, who is deputy head of the German branch of Amnesty International, says he is relieved that Russian opposition figures are free, but he is concerned about how Russian President Vladimir Putin uses political prisoners as hostages.
– The exchange therefore leaves a bitter aftertaste, says Mihr and points out that on the one hand “there is a murderer and other criminals who have been convicted in fair trials, and on the other people who have only exercised their freedom of expression”.
– The prisoner exchange is therefore a new step towards more impunity, he says and expresses fear that the Russian authorities may carry out more political arrests and violations of human rights without fear of the consequences.
#Amnesty #Bitter #aftertaste #prisoner #exchange
2024-08-02 07:59:00
