Scholz waits for prisoners swapped by Kremlin at Cologne Bonn Airport
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has made a statement at Cologne Airport, where political prisoners are expected to arrive, regarding the prisoner swap between the US, Germany, Belarus and Russia. Scholz expressed his hope for the liberation of all those still imprisoned in Russia.
Source: Bild
Quote from Scholz: "I believe this is the right decision. We are a society for whom the idea of freedom is important. We also brought back German citizens who might otherwise have been in danger."
Details: Scholz also noted that this is a "special moment" for him.
The plane with the swapped political prisoners has landed at the airport, but the passengers have not disembarked for several hours.
Many people have gathered at the airport to greet them.
German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann welcomed the prisoner swap with Putin's Russia.
Quote from Buschmann: "These were his (Putin's) political prisoners. Some of them were imprisoned merely for expressing their opinions. Their lives were hanging by a thread. One German citizen was threatened with the death penalty."
More details: Buschmann called the release of killer Vadim Krasikov "the worst thing Putin could do". However, he stated that without this step, journalists, politicians and other prisoners would not have been brought back.
Updated: Latvia-based Russian media outlet Meduza reported citing a source close to one of the former political prisoners that the swapped political prisoners from Russia will be sent into quarantine.
According to the source, all of them will be taken to a hospital where they are to stay for several days.
Background:
- On Thursday, Türkiye officially confirmed the exchange of 26 prisoners held in prisons in seven different countries: the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
- Among others, The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and US Marine Paul Whelan, German citizen Rico Krieger, who was imprisoned in Belarus, and Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin were released.
- Among the 24 individuals involved in the exchange are opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza and Russian murderer Vadim Krasikov.
- Eight Russians were brought back to Russia late in the evening, including Vadim Sokolov (Krasikov), Vladislav Klyushin, Artem and Hanna Dultsev, Pavel Rubtsov, Vadim Konoshchenok, Mikhail Mikushin and Roman Seleznev (as well as children). Putin greeted Krasikov with "What’s up" and hugged him.
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