Canadian-born captive and American journalist freed in prisoner swap with Russia

Canadian-born Paul Whelan and Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich were set free today as the United States and Russia completed their largest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history.

Officials in Turkey, where the exchange took place, say some two dozen people were set free through the multinational deal.

Whelan, who was born in Canada to British parents, was detained in December 2018 after traveling to Russia for a wedding.

Whelan was convicted of espionage charges in Russia, which he and the U.S. have said were false, and was serving a 16-year prison sentence.

Gershkovich was arrested while on a reporting trip in 2003 when Russian authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S.

The White House did not immediately release any details on the deal and Global Affairs Canada has yet not provided any comment.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2024.

With files from The Associated Press