American hostages Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva are seen for the first time since being released from hellhole Russian prisons

US hostages Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva person been seen for nan first clip since being released from Russian jailhouse successful a historical captive swap.

In a authorities photograph shared online, nan trio posed pinch an American flag, each looking thinner but happy to person escaped nan hell-hole labour camps.

Gershkovich's merchandise was negotiated on pinch that of erstwhile marine Whelan  and Russian-American journalist Kurmasheva connected Thursday. 

A full of 24 prisoners from 7 different countries were freed - making it nan largest and astir analyzable East-West inmate speech since nan Cold War era. 

The speech took spot successful nan Turkish superior of Ankara connected Thursday morning. The state has antecedently mediated captive exchanges betwixt Russia and nan West.

'Today is simply a joyous time for nan safe return of our workfellow Evan Gershkovich, who near a Russian craft moments agone successful Turkey's capital, Ankara, arsenic portion of a captive switch pinch Russia,' WSJ Editor successful Chief Emma Tucker said.

'That it was done successful a waste and acquisition for Russian operatives blameworthy of superior crimes was predictable arsenic nan only solution fixed President Putin's cynicism. 

'We are grateful to President Biden and his management for moving pinch persistence and determination to bring Evan location alternatively than spot him shipped disconnected to a Russian activity campy for a crime he didn't commit.'

She praised Gershkovich's 'strength, composure, humor' and described him arsenic an 'inspiration' during his adjacent 500-day incarceration.

'The bogus lawsuit against him represented galore important things,' Tucker said. 'A rustle against property freedom. A informing to overseas journalists covering nan Kremlin. A caller hostility successful America's narration pinch Russia.'

Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal Publisher Almar Latour besides hailed nan 'unrivaled courage, resilience and poise' of Gershkovich and his family during his ordeal.

'We are overwhelmed pinch alleviation and elated for Evan and his family, arsenic good arsenic for nan others who were released,' he said.

'At nan aforesaid time, we condemn successful nan strongest position Vladimir Putin's authorities successful Russia, which orchestrated Evan's 491-day wrongful imprisonment based connected sham accusations and a clone proceedings arsenic portion of an all-out battle connected nan free property and truth.

'Unfortunately, galore journalists stay unjustly imprisoned successful Russia and astir nan world.'

It is understood that White House officials, diplomats and nan CIA were each portion of nan speech process - and painstakingly assessed which different Western and Middle Eastern countries were consenting to merchandise Russian prisoners arsenic portion of nan deal. 

According to nan WSJ, past week CIA Director William Burns traveled to Turkey to finalize nan logistics for nan speech pinch his Kremlin equivalent. 

President Biden besides played a domiciled successful nan historical speech - speaking straight pinch premier curate of Slovenia Robert Golob to get him connected committee pinch pardoning 2 Russian spies, who were to beryllium handed backmost to Russia successful nan swap. 

The president lauded nan woody arsenic a 'feat of diplomacy' arsenic he confirmed 16 prisoners had been released from Russia, including 7 guidance figures incarcerated successful their homeland.

'Some of these women and men person been unjustly held for years. All person endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over,' Biden said.

'This is simply a powerful illustration of why it's captious to person friends successful this world whom you tin spot and dangle upon. Our alliances make Americans safer.

'And fto maine beryllium clear: I will not extremity moving until each American wrongfully detained aliases held hostage astir nan world is reunited pinch their family. 

'Today, we observe nan return of Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir and rejoice pinch their families.'

Gershkovich, 32, was detained successful March 2023 on espionage charges that nan United States says are illegitimate. He was sentenced to 16 years successful situation successful July.

Whelan, 54, has been imprisoned successful Russia since 2018 and was sentenced to 16 years successful jailhouse successful 2020 connected spying charges. The US has denied he was ever progressive successful espionage operations. 

His relative David Whelan, who had campaigned tirelessly to spotlight his brother's plight, said his activity arsenic family spokesperson is yet complete arsenic he praised nan media for reporting connected it.

'It is captious that he beryllium fixed agency complete his life again, thing nan Kremlin took distant for truthful galore years,' he said.

'I cannot adequately definitive my heavy admiration for your difficult activity and courage. Some of you were hounded from Russia, aliases branded overseas agents, and took awesome risks to travel Paul's story,.'

Radio journalist Kurmasheva was arrested successful October past twelvemonth and charged pinch failing to registry arsenic a overseas agent. 

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a Russian-British dissident journalist besides jailed successful Russia, was besides reported to person vanished from view, prompting speculation he is among those released.

Kara-Murza, 42, was arrested successful April 2022 conscionable hours aft a CNN question and reply was broadcast successful which he stated Russia was run by a 'regime of murderers'.

He was sentenced to 25 years successful a Siberian jailhouse successful a mini reward compartment conscionable 10 feet agelong and 5 feet wide.

Four Russians detained successful nan US on charges including murder, cyber crime, smuggling and money laundering were thought to perchance beryllium portion of nan exchange.

The Moscow Times reported nan individuals precocious vanished from nan national inmates' database successful America. 

Details of precisely who has been released person not been made nationalist yet.

The Kremlin has antecedently pushed for nan merchandise of convicted assassin Vadim Krasikov successful erstwhile captive swaps, raising speculation that he could beryllium among those freed.

It comes aft Slovenian broadcaster, N1 Slovenia, reported connected a imaginable woody being struck earlier this week.

The reports cited an speech including nan US, Germany, Russia and Belarus.

 The captive switch is nan biggest betwixt nan United States and Russia since nan extremity of nan Cold War. 

According to nan anonymous root cited by nan Moscow Times, Russian authorities person made 'great efforts to support nan accusation wrong Russia arsenic overmuch a concealed arsenic imaginable until nan past moment.'

The developments came arsenic precocious arsenic Wednesday, erstwhile Kremlin subject craft reportedly flew to isolated regions successful Russia wherever governmental prisoners are being held.

The US authorities has many times stated its committedness to freeing some men, who they opportunity were wrongfully detained.

The boy of Soviet emigres who settled successful New Jersey, Gershkovich was fluent successful Russian and moved to Russia successful 2017 to activity for The Moscow Times newspaper earlier being hired by nan WSJ successful 2022. 

He was nan first US journalist arrested connected spying charges successful Russia since nan Cold War. 

Russian prosecutors alleged that Gershkovich had gathered concealed accusation connected nan orders of nan US Central Intelligence Agency astir a institution that manufactures tanks for Moscow's warfare successful Ukraine, which he and his employer denied.

Officers of nan FSB information work arrested him connected March 29, 2023, astatine a steakhouse successful Yekaterinburg, 900 miles eastbound of Moscow. He had since been held successful Moscow's Lefortovo prison.

Whelan, a firm information executive from Michigan, was arrested successful 2018 successful Moscow, wherever he was attending a friend's wedding. 

He maintains his innocence, saying nan charges were fabricated.

 Details astir nan conditions some men person been facing down bars are scant and successful caller days, Whelan's lawyer said she had mislaid way of wherever he was being housed.

His family antecedently told really he had been attacked successful situation astatine nan remote IK-17 campy successful Mordovia by an inmate who allegedly punched him successful his look and collapsed his glasses. 

US officials person many times accused Russia of utilizing Gershkovich and Whelan arsenic bargaining chips for a imaginable captive exchange.

Russia antecedently pushed for nan merchandise of erstwhile Federal Security Service (FSB) colonel Krasikov successful captive negotiations astir nan merchandise of US hoops prima Brittney Griner, who was detained connected supplier possession charges. 

Krasikov was convicted of gunning down a Georgia-born Chechen separatist successful wide daylight successful a cardinal Berlin parkland successful June 2019.

He rode up to his unfortunate connected a bicycle and executed him successful Berlin's Kleine Tiergarten parkland successful December 2021. A German tribunal called it a 'state-contracted killing.' 

Griner was yet released successful speech for arms trader Viktor Bout. 

Among nan prisoners released were astatine slightest 7 Russian dissidents who were being held successful jailhouse successful their homeland.

Kremlin critics Ilya Yashin, 41, Alexandra Skochilenko, 33, Oleg Orlov, 71, Lilia Chanysheva, 42, Ksenia Fadeeva, 32, Vadim Ostanin and Andrei Pivovarov person each now been released, CNN reports.

Many of those connected nan database were friends of erstwhile guidance leader Alexey Navalgny.

Navalgny was reportedly connected a database of imaginable prisoners who could beryllium portion of a captive speech until his mysterious decease aged 47 successful a penal colony successful Kharp, Russia successful February.