Russia sent Ukraine 65 civilians slated for deportation in major prisoner exchange
In a prisoner exchange from May 23 to 25, Russia sent Ukraine 65 prisoners who were set to be deported to Ukraine regardless of the swap, Suspilne reported on May 30.
Political Prisoners
'He was kidnapped' — Georgian opposition leader detained as ruling party continues crackdown on dissent
Leader of the Georgian opposition party "Coalition for Change," Nika Melia, was detained on May 29, NewsGeorgia reported, citing Melia's associates.
Chaos to coordination: The evolution of POW swaps in the Russia-Ukraine war
The nature, size, and political significance of prisoner exchanges between Ukraine and Russia have evolved significantly over the three and a half years of the full-scale war, accelerating sharply in recent weeks. While ceasefire and peace negotiations have gone through periods of halts and bursts, increasingly institutionalized prisoner exchanges are
Book on Soviet dissidents wins Pulitzer Prize
"To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans, which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today, won a Pulitzer Prize on May 5.
Reporters Without Borders exfiltrates Russian journalist and outspoken war critic who escaped house arrest
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21.
Russian journalist and outspoken war critic escapes from house arrest
Ekaterina Barabash, a Russian journalist who was arrested earlier this year for speaking out against the war in Ukraine, has escaped house arrest and is now wanted by police, Russian state media reported on April 21.
Russia jails 19-year-old activist for quoting Ukrainian poet, criticizing war
A court in St. Petersburg sentenced 19-year-old Darya Kozyreva to two years and eight months in a penal colony for allegedly "discrediting" the Russian army.
Belarus authorities sentence Japanese citizen to 7 years in prison on espionage charges
Masatoshi Nakanishi has been in custody since July for allegedly spying for for a foreign intelligence agency between 2018 and 2024, local authorities said. Nakanishi's arrest was only publicly announced in September 2024, despite his arrest several months prior.
63-year-old Russian film critic put under house arrest in Moscow for ‘fake news’ about war in Ukraine
Independent Russian film critic Ekaterina Barabash was placed under house arrest by a Moscow court for posting “fake news” on her Facebook account about the war in Ukraine, her son Yurii Barabash reported on Facebook on Feb. 26. Detained by the Russian Investigative Committee on Feb. 25, Barabash will remain
One year following Navalny's death, West, Navalnaya condemn Putin's Russia
"Russia is increasingly waging an illegal war of aggression against Ukraine while continuing its domestic repression, persecuting those who advocate for democracy," EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said.
Senior US diplomat visits Belarus, three political prisoners released, NYT reports
U.S. Deputy Assistant State Secretary Christopher W. Smith visited Belarus alongside two other U.S. officials in an unannounced meeting on Feb. 12, the New York Times reported, potentially ending Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's isolation from the West.
Kidnapped Belarusian soldier fighting for Ukraine paraded on Belarusian state-controlled television
Branded a terrorist by Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko’s regime for taking part in Ukraine’s fight against Russia, Vasyl Verameichyk was paraded on state-controlled television in late January for a two-part interview titled "Confessions of a Militant." During the so-called interview, Verameichyk spoke of plans for an alleged incursion
Belarus releases American citizen amid controversial election
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio identified the U.S. citizen as Anastassia Nuhfer, who was detained in early December 2024.
Lukashenko frees 23 more Belarusian political prisoners
Nearly 1,300 prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, Viasna Human Rights Center reported.
Photos of jailed Belarusian opposition leader appear after almost 2 years of no news
Photos and a video of Viktar Babaryka were published by blogger Raman Pratasevich on Jan. 8 after the jailed Belarusian opposition leader was held incommunicado since February 2023.
I survived a Russian torture camp. So I had to see Assad's Sednaya prison
Editor's Note: Stanislav Aseyev is a Ukrainian writer, journalist, veteran, and a survivor of the Izolyatsia prison in Russia-occupied Donetsk, infamous for its torture of prisoners. He was the first Ukrainian journalist to see to the Sednaya prison and death camp in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime
'You'll die here' – Belarusian political prisoners recount experiences ahead of Lukashenko's reelection
Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko, who has been in power for 30 years, is looking to reelect himself for the seventh time. In the run-up to the January 2025 presidential elections, Lukashenko has pardoned prisoners convicted of extremism, claiming that it was a "humane gesture" toward those who had "gone astray.
Russia 'prepared to consider' prisoner exchange with US, Russian official says
Russia will "definitely be prepared to consider" a prisoner exchange, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told NBC News, adding that a potential exchange could mark "a healthy step forward, especially at the beginning of the next (U.S.) administration."
Belarus Weekly: Ukrainian, Russian ombudsmen meet in Minsk to discuss POWs exchange
Two of Alexander Lukashenko’s “challengers” in upcoming 2025 presidential elections drop out before race even starts, pledge support for Belarusian dictator. Lukashenko pardons 31 political prisoners as pre-election police raids intensify. Lukashenko allows the family to visit Maria Kalesnikava in jail, ending over 600 days of holding the prominent
Russia imprisons former US consulate employee for ‘secret collaboration with foreign state’
Robert Shonov, a former employee of the U.S. consulate in Vladivostok, was detained in 2023 and accused of passing information on Russia’s war in Ukraine to the U.S. He was sentenced to four years and 10 months in prison on Nov. 1.
Navalny's prison diaries to be published posthumously this week
The memoir, "Patriot," is compiled from the Russian opposition leader's prison diaries and was edited in part by his widow, Yulia Navalnaya. The book will be released in 22 languages, including Russian.
Trump criticizes Russia-US prisoner swap as 'win for Putin'
The historic Aug. 1 prisoner swap was a "win for Putin," Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claimed during an interview with Fox Business on Aug. 2.
Talks on historic prisoner swap between West, Russia took over 2 years, Reuters reports
The Kremlin was ready to start talks as early as February 2022 after the arrest of American basketball player Brittney Griner, who was jailed for nine years for possession of a vape with hashish oil, Reuters wrote, citing U.S. officials.
Freed U.S. prisoners arrive in Maryland, greeted by Biden, Harris
Freed U.S. prisoners arrived in D.C. during the late hours of Aug.1, where they were greeted by U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Killers, spies and smugglers – the Russians released in historic prisoner swap
Kremlin's assassin, Vadim Krasikov, has been imprisoned in Germany since 2021 after being given a life sentence for murdering Zelimkhan Khangoshvili.
Gershkovich, Whelan, Kara-Murza released in major prisoner swap between Russia, West
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan are being released by Russia in a multi-country prisoner exchange, Bloomberg reported on Aug. 1, citing undisclosed sources.
Russia transfers dissident Kara-Murza, other political prisoners amid speculation of US-Russia prisoner swap
Russian prison officials said on July 31 that Vladimir Kara-Murza, a jailed Russian journalist and opposition figure, was being moved from the penal colony where he was held to an uncertain destination.
Lukashenko releases 4 political prisoners, Belarusian opposition says
Some Belarusian political prisoners who were being held by Alexander Lukashenko's regime have been released, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya announced on July 3.
Russia arbitrarily depriving political prisoners from contact with family, Amnesty International report finds
Russian authorities are being accused of systemically depriving Russian political prisoners and government critics of contact with families in order to ensure cooperation and "impose additional suffering on them and their families," an Amnesty International report released on June 26 charged.
Russian court sentences US soldier to nearly 4 years in penal colony, Russian media reports
A Russian court in Vladivostok has sentenced U.S. Staff Sergeant Gordon Black to three years and nine months in a Russian penal colony on charges of theft and uttering death threats, Russian state-controlled news agency RIA Novosti reported on June 19.
NGO: Belarusian man accused of insulting Lukashenko dies in jail awaiting trial
According to the Viasna human rights group, Aliaksandr Kulinich is the sixth political prisoner to die behind bars in Belarus in the last two years.
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