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New Hall Prison Information

• Accommodation: The prison provides multiple residential units with individual cells or shared accommodation for inmates. The cells are equipped with basic amenities, including beds, personal storage, and sanitation facilities.
• Education and Vocational Training: New Hall Prison offers a range of educational programs and vocational training opportunities to help inmates develop skills, improve their prospects, and prepare for their eventual release. These programs may include basic education, literacy and numeracy courses, vocational skills training, and accredited qualifications.
• Work Opportunities: Inmates have access to work opportunities within the prison, such as maintenance, cleaning, kitchen, and other designated roles. These work activities aim to develop skills, instill discipline, and provide a sense of responsibility.
• Healthcare: New Hall Prison has an on-site healthcare unit staffed with medical professionals who provide primary healthcare services to prisoners. Mental health support, substance abuse programs, and specialized medical care are also available.
• Family Contact: The prison recognizes the importance of maintaining family relationships and facilitates visits and contact with family members, subject to specific guidelines and regulations.
• Resettlement Support: New Hall Prison offers pre-release planning and support to help inmates prepare for their eventual release. This may include assistance with accommodation, employment, and access to community-based support services.

Contact Information

Booking a visit to new hall prison.

• Tuesday: 1:45pm to 4pm
• Thursday: 1:45pm to 4pm
• Saturday: 1:45pm to 4pm
• Sunday: 1:45pm to 4pm

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• Valid Passport
• Valid Photographic
• Driving Licence (full or provisional)
• Citizen Card
• Senior Citizens Bus Pass Travel Card (issued by Scottish Government)
• Utility bill
• Council tax bill
• Benefit book
• Bank statement
• other letter from official source

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Visit someone in prison

Use this service to request a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales. There’s a different way to book a prison visit in Northern Ireland or a prison visit in Scotland .

This service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) .

To use this service you need the:

• prisoner number
• prisoner’s date of birth
• dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

If you do not have the prisoner’s location or prisoner number, use the ‘Find a prisoner’ service .

You can choose up to 3 dates and times you prefer. The prison will email you to confirm when you can visit.

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can request a visit. This can take up to 2 weeks.

Request a prison visit

Visits you cannot book through this service.

Contact the prison directly if you need to arrange any of the following:

• legal visits, for example legal professionals discussing the prisoner’s case
• reception visits, for example the first visit to the prisoner within 72 hours of being admitted
• double visits, for example visiting for 2 hours instead of 1
• family day visits - special family events that the prison organises

Help with the costs of prison visits

You may be able to get help with the cost of prison visits if you’re getting certain benefits or have a health certificate.

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HMP New Hall

Key contacts

Pact contact: 

Prison switchboard: 01924 803 000 (24 hours)

Email Pact: [email protected]  

Safer Custody line: 01924 840 723 (non-emergency)

Guidance for visitors

Visit the gov.uk page for information about:

• booking and planning your visit
• ID requirements
• financial assistance for visits
• sending money and property to a prisoner
• keeping in touch with a prison

HMP New Hall's Family & Visitors' Centre

Pact runs the Family & Visitors’ Centre at this prison, ensuring you a warm welcome when you visit.

Our team supports family members, friends and visitors. This includes emotional and practical support before and after your visit and additional reassurance if it is your first visit or you are particularly anxious about going through the gate.

We can also offer guidance and resources around:

• Travel and transport
• Financial assistance for prison visits
• Signposting to Pact services and other helpful organisations
• Supporting children and young people affected by imprisonment
• Raising concerns or making a complaint

Family engagement support

Email:  newhall @prisonadvice.org.uk    

If your issue is complex and you need to talk to us in person, please include your number in the email and tell us that you would like a callback. It would also be helpful if you could let us know whether we are able to leave a message if there is no answer. We will aim to get back to you as soon as we possibly can.  

If you have urgent concerns about the welfare of your loved one in prison, please call the prison Safer Custody line directly.

Prisoners' Families Helpline 

You can contact the Prisoners’ Families Helpline for advice and support on all aspects of the criminal justice system.

Call freephone on 0808 808 2003

Open 9am – 8pm Monday to Friday and 10am – 3pm on weekends and bank holidays (exc. Christmas Day and Boxing Day) 

Email the team at [email protected] (please allow up to 3 days for a response)

The Prisoners’ Families Helpline website also offers a range of information on supporting your loved one in prison.

Make a comment or complaint 

We are committed to putting the people who use our services first. You can offer feedback on any of our services by speaking to a member of our team, submitting a feedback form online, or sending an email to [email protected] .

What is New Hall Prison Like?

What is New Hall Prison like? HMP New Hall, located in Flockton, West Yorkshire, is a closed-category prison for female adults, juveniles, and young offenders. Established in 1987, New Hall serves as a secure environment for women convicted of various offenses. The prison offers a range of facilities and programs aimed at rehabilitation and personal development.

Facilities and Accommodation

What is New Hall Prison like? The prison consists of several residential units including Holly House for complex cases, Maple House with a Mother and Baby Unit (MBU), Oak House, Poplar House for first night arrivals, Rivendell House for inmates with personality disorders, Sycamore House for segregation, and Willow House for long-term inmates. Each unit is equipped with essential amenities such as beds, personal storage, and sanitation facilities​​​​.

Education and Vocational Training

New Hall Prison prioritizes educational and vocational training to aid in the rehabilitation of inmates. Courses offered include basic education, literacy, numeracy, IT, business administration, hairdressing, and various vocational skills. The prison also has workshops where inmates can gain experience in catering, textile work, and other trades​​​​.

Healthcare and Support Services

What is New Hall Prison like? Inmates at New Hall have access to comprehensive healthcare services provided by an on-site healthcare unit. This includes primary care, mental health support, and substance abuse programs. The prison’s commitment to inmate welfare extends to resettlement support, helping prisoners prepare for life after release​​​​.

Visiting Information

Visitors are crucial to maintaining family ties, and New Hall facilitates visits through a family-friendly visitors’ centre. Visits can be booked online, via email, or by telephone. The prison also offers secure video calls, phone calls, and an Email a Prisoner service to keep inmates connected with their loved ones​​​​.

Daily Life and Activities

What is New Hall Prison like? Life at New Hall includes a structured daily routine with opportunities for work and education. Prisoners can participate in various jobs within the prison, such as maintenance, cleaning, and kitchen duties, which help develop skills and discipline. Recreational activities, including gym and horticulture, are also available to promote physical and mental well-being​​​​.

Notable Inmates

New Hall has housed several high-profile inmates, including serial child killer Lucy Letby, and notorious offenders like Rose West and Sarah Barrass. These cases have brought significant media attention to the prison, highlighting its role in managing some of the UK’s most challenging prisoners​​​​.

Security and Safeguarding

Security is a top priority at New Hall, with measures in place to ensure the safety of both staff and inmates. The prison employs various safeguarding protocols to protect the welfare of prisoners, including restricted status for high-risk individuals​​​​.

Summary and Conclusion

What is New Hall Prison like? HMP New Hall is a well-equipped facility dedicated to the rehabilitation and welfare of female offenders. With a focus on education, healthcare, and family connections, the prison provides a supportive environment for inmates to develop skills and prepare for reintegration into society. For more detailed information, visit the GOV.UK HMP New Hall page .

What is New Hall Prison like for visitors?

• New Hall offers a family-friendly visitors’ centre with amenities for children and a supportive environment to maintain family ties.

How can I book a visit to New Hall Prison?

• Visits can be booked online, via email, or by calling the prison’s booking line during specified hours.

What educational opportunities are available at New Hall?

• Inmates can access courses in basic education, vocational skills, IT, business administration, and more.

What is New Hall Prison like for healthcare services?

• The prison has a comprehensive healthcare unit offering primary care, mental health support, and substance abuse programs.

What security measures are in place at New Hall?

• New Hall employs strict security protocols, including restricted status for high-risk inmates and regular safeguarding checks.

How can I keep in touch with an inmate at New Hall?

• You can use secure video calls, phone calls, Email a Prisoner service, and traditional mail to stay connected with inmates.

What are the living conditions like at New Hall?

• The prison provides basic accommodation with essential amenities, including beds, personal storage, and sanitation facilities.

What work opportunities are available to inmates?

• Inmates can engage in various work roles within the prison, such as maintenance, kitchen duties, and cleaning services.

Are there any notable inmates at New Hall?

• Yes, notable inmates have included Lucy Letby and Rose West, among others.

What resettlement support does New Hall provide?

• The prison offers pre-release planning and support, including assistance with accommodation, employment, and community-based services.

For more details, visit the HMP New Hall page on GOV.UK .

Visit our other prison pages such as Moorland Prison .

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Hmp-yoi new hall.

• Inside Time Reports
• 13th December 2014
• East Midlands , Local female , Prison Visit

Prison information

Address: HMP-YOI NEW HALL Dial Wood, Flockton, Wakefield, WF4 4XX Switchboard: 01924 803 219 Managed by: HMPPS Region:  Yorkshire Category:  Womens Link to:  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-hall-prison

Description

New Hall is a prison and young offender institution (YOI) in Flockton, West Yorkshire, for women aged 18 and over.

Visit Booking: On-line

Use this online service to book a social visit to a prisoner in England or Wales you need the:

• prisoner number
• prisoner’s date of birth
• dates of birth for all visitors coming with you

The prisoner must add you to their visitor list before you can book a visit.

You’ll get an email confirming your visit. It takes 1 to 3 days.

ID: Every visit

Children’s Visits:

Acceptable forms of ID

Related documents

• Prison Inspection Reports

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HMP HUMBER (WOLDS)

3 thoughts on “ hmp-yoi new hall ”.

Hi can u send items in such as a dvd player

How do I go about giving the prisoner some clothes ? Do I have to send them in or take them on a visit ??

Can I use my passport if it out off date and if it as got my old surname on it

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Prisons · West Yorkshire

Overcrowding.

Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA): 341

Population: 332

The open prison system of England and Wales began at New Hall in 1933, with the site accepting prisoners from HMP Wakefield near the end of their sentence. It remained an open prison until 1961, when it became a Senior Detention Centre for young men, before taking on its current role as a closed category women’s prison in 1987.

Read New Hall’s latest inspection report here.

About this information

Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA) is the prison service’s own measure of how many prisoners can be held in decent and safe accommodation. Any occupancy above CNA means that the prison in question is overcrowded.

Restricted status: women placed on restricted status are deemed to pose a high risk to the public if they were to escape. They are held in closed women’s prisons, and sometimes placed in the segregation unit.

Closed prisons: the majority of women’s prisons are closed prisons. Women who are assessed as not being suitable for open conditions are held in these prisons.

Open prisons: there are two open prisons for women, Askham Grange and East Sutton Park. They hold women who have been assessed as posing a low risk.

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• overcrowding
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HMP/YOI New Hall

Inspection report - New Hall (PDF, 752.1 KB)

Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP/YOI New Hall by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (14 November – 1 December 2022)

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The Good Book of Prisons

What's good in prisons across England & Wales

Managers said the jail was safe and clean, with good staff-prisoner relations and an emphasis on respect and decency. They highlighted resettlement and the role of OMU; education & skills training; the charity clothes shop run by and for the women; and ‘Together Women’s Project’. The ‘Rowan House’ day centre, for more vulnerable women, and the prison’s ability to manage challenging and complex women, were highly rated, as were the range of prisoner mentors and reps. The Mother & Baby unit, Mother & Baby visits, family days and lifer days, as well as support for visiting children, were positives too. They also highlighted services run by the gym for staff, including classes, sports injury rehab, healthcare advice and well-being days; staff recognition; staff mess (including cooked breakfasts); staff counsellor; and staff-family BBQ, and tours of the jail. The Chapel staff were ‘fantastic’, and the grounds were seen as a positive for all.

The Officers said they really cared about the women and had very good relations with them, and agreed that care for more vulnerable, challenging and complex women was a particular strength. In addition to many of the positives for the women identified by managers, they highlighted time out of cell, a ’40 mins from bus to bed’ reception process, and support for care leavers as strengths. They highly valued all the support and services for staff noted by managers – especially ‘bacon sarnies’ in the morning – and agreed the grounds were a benefit for all.

The women highlighted, among others, the PD unit and Rowan House day centre; ‘Power to Change’ domestic violence and peer-led ‘Healing trauma’ courses; art group; family visits and Storybook Mums; access to distance learning (including OU); recognition awards (including £5 private cash voucher); and the library, which included a coffee shop where they could meet friends. They too singled out the Chaplaincy staff as ‘fantastic’.

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Popular articles

Lubyanka: Inside the Story of Moscow’s Infamous Building and District

Published: June 15, 2021

There is always history surrounding us. In a city like Moscow, this can seem overwhelmingly apparent. Moscow has many imposing buildings from many eras – some are immediately recognizable and others only invite wonder as to what stories lay behind their beauty or grime.

Lubyanka is the name commonly used to refer to the building that has historically housed the security services of the USSR and modern Russia, from the Cheka to the KGB to the FSB. The name has also, for a much longer history, been applied to the adjacent square and surounding neighborhood.

The Lubyanka Building

by Alyssa Rider

The building now known as Lubyanka was originally several buildings.

The two largest were originally designed by Alexander Ivanov and were separated by a street. The largest of these two was built in 1898 and the smaller in 1902 by the All-Russia Insurance Company. Insurance and banking were rapidly growing and profitable industries at that time. Insurance companies would often invest their substantial cash holdings in real estate. Thus, most of the buildings were built as residential and the space was rented for profit.

Perhaps ironically, the original, much more ornate façade of the main building included two female figures representing Justice and Solace.

The buildings were seized following the 1917 revolution and became the headquarters for the secret police – the Cheka at the time, though it has served in the same role for the various iterations of the Soviet, and now Russian, state security services – from the OGPU and NKVD, the KGB, and now the FSB.

Lubyanka prison was established in 1920 inside a two story structure adjacent to the main buildings. It had originally been a hotel built, again, by the All-Russia Insurance Company. It was soon expanded to six floors. Jokes referred to it as the “tallest building in Moscow,” as one could purportedly see Siberia (and the Gulag system) from its basement, as that was the fate that awaited most that saw the inside of the prison’s walls.

In 1940, Aleksey Shchusev was commissioned to enlarge the complex to accommodate the increasing amount of staff required to handle the Great Purge. The staff had grown from 2,500 in 1928 to nearly 34,000 in 1940.

An extra floor was added, and the main building expanded horizontally, consuming and incorporating nearby buildings. This expansion was interrupted by the Nazi invasion, leaving the facade lopsided until it was completed under the orders of Yuri Andropov in the 1980s.

The building now contains FSB headquarters, a group of holding cells, the headquarters of the Border Guard Service, and two museums: one devoted to the KGB/FSB and one dedicated to the old prison (neither is actually open to the public).

The Museums Inside the Lubyanka Building

The museums offer regularly updated exhibits, both historical and modern. The Museum of the KGB, now known as the Historical Demonstration Hall of the FSB of Russia, is located inside the Lubyanka complex, and contains four rooms and over two thousand exhibits.

Exhibits cover the history of Russian and Soviet counterintelligence, and there are documents from the times of both Peter and Catherine the Great, as well as the Napoleonic War and WWI. There are separate stands with information on events relating to mass repressions, as well as a room dedicated to WWII. The museum also includes a significant amount of technical equipment that has been used for reconnaissance and counterintelligence purposes, as well as more recent documents relating to FSB operations.

The prison museum has never been open to the public and is maintained only for FSB personnel and high-ranking government officials. The “Demonstration Hall” was opened to the public in 1989. Accessing it was still difficult, as it is located inside the FSB complex and tours were offered almost exclusively through private tour companies and only after screening potential visitors. In recent years, the tours became rarer and today this museum, too, is officially closed to outside visitors.

Lubyanka: Fountain, Statue, or Abstract Nothing?

The names were not the only thing that changed. In 1835, a fountain was installed on the square. This fountain was called Nikolsky Fountain (its name borrowed from the same gates mentioned above), and was designed by the Italian sculptor Giovanni Vitali and supplied potable water to the neighborhood.

Nikolsky Fountain is one of the oldest in Moscow, and it still stands, but no longer on Lubyanka. It was moved in the 1930s to a new location in the courtyard of Alexandrinsky Palace in Neskuchny Garden, part of the Gorky Park complex in central Moscow.

In 1958, a 15-ton iron statue of Dzerzhinsky, known as “Iron Felix” was installed in its former place on Lubyanka. This statue, in turn, was toppled in a public demonstration after the fall of the Soviet Union. It was transferred by the Russian Academy of Arts to the Muzeon, also known as Fallen Monument Park, to be joined by many other Soviet statues removed or toppled at that time.

In 2017, a general renovation of Lubyanka and the surrounding traffic patterns was announced by the city. It was debated if the fountain or even Iron Felix should be brought back. In the end, however, the space was enlarged and landscaped with flat, circular geometric shapes. The space, used and undecorated, remains largely unused.

In 2021, another effort to bring back the statue was proposed by the modern Communist Party in Moscow. The mayor initially agreed to allow the issue to be voted on in a referendum, but soon reversed his decision and killed the initiative.

The Solovetsky Stone

The Solovetsky Stone is a monument located across the street from Lubyanka Square in a separated area known as Musuem Park. It was created in commemoration of the political prisoners who were repressed under the GULAG system.

The Solovetsky Stone is a large granite block brought from the Solovetsky Islands, where the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp operated in the 1920s and 1930s as part of the GULAG system. It was officially opened on October 30, 1990.

Founding such a memorial had become a matter of public discussion a few years earlier, in the late 1980s. The Memorial Society, now a globally-respected NGO, began a petition with the goal of creating a monument of political repression in 1987, and in 1988, a Public Council for the creation of such a monument was formed. A contest was also held in 1988, wherein people could submit their monument ideas and suggest locations, but a winner for this contest was never chosen.

The specific stone idea came from a memorial created in the village of Solovetsky in 1989 by former Solovetsky prisoners, many of whom stayed there after their release, and members of the Memorial Society. Members of the Society from Arkhangelsk, St. Petersburg, and Moscow liked the idea so much that they acquired boulders to place in their own cities.

The opening of the Moscow memorial on served as a triumph not only in its own right, but also marked the first official recognition of the Day of Victims of Political Repression since that day began to be recognized by dissidents in 1974. Every year on this day, people now gather near the Solovetsky Stone to mourn. Since 2007, a practice called the ‘Return of Names’ has taken place on the 29th from 10 AM to 10 PM – people from across the city gather in a long line to take turns reading the names of Muscovites who were executed. Similar actions take place in many other cities and even other countries, on this day or the next.

The Solovetsky Stone has also become an unofficial site for civil protest, serving not only as a memorial but as a symbol for modern-day political dissonance.

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About the authors

Katheryn Weaver

Katheryn Weaver is a student of rhetoric and history at the University of Texas, Austin. Her primary areas of investigation include revolution and the rhetorical justification of violence against individuals, state, and society. She is currently studying Russian as a Second Language with SRAS's Home and Abroad Scholarship.

Program attended: Home and Abroad Scholar

View all posts by: Katheryn Weaver

Alyssa Rider

Alyssa Rider, at the time she wrote from this site, was a rising senior at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, majoring in Russian Studies and International/Global Studies with a minor in History. She planned to study abroad in Dublin, Ireland, in the fall, to study Russian, as well as a few other things. While she first became interested in Russia because of the language, she also developed an interest in LGBTQ rights in Russia. She also hoped to work as a translator.

Program attended: Online Interships

View all posts by: Alyssa Rider

HMP New Hall, HMIP Inspections

The prison was given a full inspection in November 2022. In the main prison inspection the report said:

New Hall prison and young offender institution, located near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, can hold up to 381 women, although there were just 314 at the time of this inspection. A prison with many purposes, it holds women of all ages and differing risks: some are on remand or unsentenced, but a small number are classed as restricted status and considered among the most dangerous. New Hall has a fairly significant turnover of prisoners, although staff told us that many women were well known to them, returning frequently and repeatedly.

This was our first inspection since 2019, and while we observed some deterioration in outcomes in rehabilitation and release planning and purposeful activity, this was from a high bar set in in 2019. The prison remained an overwhelmingly safe and respectful place, work to promote rehabilitation was still reasonably good and only in the quality of the daily regime was there more significant work to be done to return to previously high standards.

The prison was very well led by a governor who knew her prison well and was able to motivate an engaged and caring staff group. This was true of all elements of the prison, including various specialist facilities such as the mother and baby unit or the Rivendale unit, which worked with women with personality disorders. At the heart of the governor’s leadership approach was a commitment to prioritising key work. This provided a structure that marshalled and exploited the good relationships we saw and brought numerous benefits to the prison, and more importantly the women held there. It was no surprise that New Hall’s approach to key work was one of the better examples we have seen in the prison system.

Our two principal criticisms of the prison were about the security and quality of the daily regime. Some aspects of security, such as excessive and cumbersome roll checks which impeded access to activity, seemed to be excessive and disproportionate to the identified risks. Good security is vital, but it should be managed in a way that allows women to access the services that will help to reduce risks, commensurate with the broader public interest. That said, the activities on offer were too limited. We found about a third of women locked up during the working day and time out of cell generally was not good enough. At weekends it was even worse. Our colleagues in Ofsted judged the provision of learning and skills provision as ‘requires improvement’, their second lowest assessment.

Other priorities included a need for greater focus on the promotion of equality, as well as improvements to the prison’s public protection arrangements. Nevertheless, this is a good report about a capable prison. The issues we raise are eminently fixable, and we hope the priorities we have highlighted will assist ongoing improvement.

Charlie Taylor HM Chief Inspector of Prisons January 2023

The inspectors also provided a note of their principle concerns

What needs to improve at HMP/YOI New Hall

During this inspection we identified 13 key concerns, of which six should be treated as priorities. Priority concerns are those that are most important to improving outcomes for prisoners. They require immediate attention by leaders (see Glossary) and managers.

Leaders should make sure that all concerns identified here are addressed and that progress is tracked through a plan which sets out how and when the concerns will be resolved. The plan should be provided to HMI Prisons.

Priority concerns

• Too many security measures were disproportionate and affected outcomes for prisoners needlessly.
• The daily regime was inconsistent, unpredictable and a source of frustration among prisoners. The regime often ran late and too many prisoners were locked up in the core day. Time out of cell was far too limited for those in the induction unit.
• Leaders and managers did not carry out a needs analysis and as a result did not have a coherent approach to planning the education skills and work curriculum.
• The curriculum provided by Novus across education and vocational training was too narrow in most subject areas. Apart from in English and mathematics, there were insufficient progression routes.
• Attendance was too low because other activities, such as medication administration, showers, gym and health care appointments often clashed with classes.
• There was too little support to help women maintain or rebuild relationships with their children and families.

Key concerns

• Use of body-worn video cameras was too limited, hampering assurance processes for the use of force.
• Leaders had limited insight into the experiences of prisoners with protected characteristics. There was no strategy or needs analysis, consultation was limited and only a narrow set of data was reviewed.
• Most prisoners were unable to access the inadequate library. Unless they attended education, women did not have ready access to reading materials.
• Women’s mathematics and English skills were not being developed sufficiently at work or on some vocational courses.
• There was insufficient support for those with a learning difficulty or disability when at work.
• There were not enough opportunities for women to address their offending behaviour and progress through their sentence plans.
• Public protection arrangements had a number of weaknesses, and some risks were not managed well.

Return To New Hall

To see the full report go to the Ministry of Justice Website from the links below:

• Inspection report (752 kB) , Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP/YOI New Hall by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (14 November – 1 December 2022)
• HMP & YOI New Hall ( 647.30 kB ) , Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall (25 February – 8 March 2019)
• HMP & YOI New Hall (PDF, 831.87 kB) , Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall (8 – 19 June 2015)
• Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP/YOI New Hall Riverndell Unit (15 – 26 April 2013) by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (PDF 0.24mb)
• Report on an unannounced full follow-up inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall (31 January – 10 February 2012) by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (PDF 0.57mb)
• Report on an announced inspection of HMP/YOI New Hall Rivendell Unit (13 – 17 June 2011) by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (PDF 0.31mb)
• Report on an unannounced short follow-up inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall Rivendell Unit 27-31 July 2009 by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (PDF 0.36mb)
• Report on an announced inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall (10 – 14 November 2008) by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (PDF 0.62mb)
• Report on an announced inspection of HMYOI New Hall: The Rivendell Unit (30 July – 3 August 2007) by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (PDF 0.52mb)
• Report on an unannounced short followup inspection of HMP & YOI New Hall 20 – 23 March 2006 by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (PDF 0.33mb)
• Education and training report on HM Young Offender Institution New Hall (30 November – 1 December 2004) by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, OFSTED and the Adult Learning Inspectorate (PDF 0.11mb)
• Report of an announced inspection of HM Prison/Young Offender Institution New Hall 10-14 November 2003 – Appendix 2 (PDF 0.34mb)
• Report of an announced inspection of HM Prison/Young Offender Institution New Hall 10-14 November 2003 – Appendix 1 (PDF 0.05mb)
• Report of an announced inspection of HM Prison/Young Offender Institution New Hall 10-14 November 2003 (PDF 0.67mb)
• Report on an unannounced follow-up inspection of HM Prison and Young Offender Institution New Hall 8-10 January 2001 (PDF 0.13mb)

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‘Every Day Is Hard’: One Year Since Russia Jailed a U.S. Reporter

In a notorious high-security prison, Evan Gershkovich of The Wall Street Journal stays connected with supporters through letters as they keep up the pressure for his release.

Evan Gershkovich’s parents, Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich. “He’s fighting,” his mother said. Credit... Gioncarlo Valentine for The New York Times

Supported by

By Katie Robertson

• March 29, 2024

One year ago on Friday, Ella Milman and Mikhail Gershkovich received a chilling phone call from the managing editor of The Wall Street Journal. Their son, Evan, a foreign correspondent for The Journal who was on a reporting assignment in Russia, had missed his daily security check-in.

Listen to this article with reporter commentary

“We were hoping this was some kind of error, that everything is going to be fine,” the older Mr. Gershkovich recalled. But the stunning reality became clear: The Russian authorities had detained Evan and accused him of spying for the American government, making him the first American reporter to be held on espionage charges in Russia since the end of the Cold War.

Since his arrest, Mr. Gershkovich, 32, has been held in the notorious high-security Lefortovo prison in Moscow, the same facility holding the people accused in the deadly attack at a concert venue in the city this month. The Journal and the U.S. government have vehemently denied that Mr. Gershkovich is a spy, saying he was an accredited journalist doing his job.

On Tuesday, Mr. Gershkovich’s detention was extended for yet another three months. A trial date has not been set.

“Every day is very hard — every day we feel that he is not here,” Ms. Milman said. “We want him at home, and it has been a year. It’s taken a toll.”

President Biden said on Friday that he wasn’t giving up on bringing Mr. Gershkovich home.

“I admire the hell out of him,” Mr. Biden said.

Roger Carstens, the Biden administration’s special envoy for hostage affairs, said the U.S. government had “intensive efforts” underway to secure Mr. Gershkovich’s release, as well as the release of another detained American, Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran who is also accused of espionage.

“Journalism is not a crime,” Mr. Carstens said in a statement. “Evan Gershkovich was doing his job and should not have been detained by Russia.”

Recent public comments from President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia about a possible prisoner swap could be a reason for some optimism, said Jay Conti, general counsel at Dow Jones, the parent company of The Journal.

In an interview with the former Fox News host Tucker Carlson last month, Mr. Putin suggested that he wanted to trade Mr. Gershkovich for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian citizen imprisoned in Germany for assassinating a target in a Berlin park.

Early talks between American and German officials explored whether Berlin would be willing to let the assassin go if Russia released the opposition leader Aleksei A. Navalny in addition to Mr. Gershkovich and Mr. Whelan. But Mr. Navalny died in mysterious circumstances in an Arctic prison last month, derailing that possibility.

“I don’t think it’s a secret that there aren’t a ton of high-profile Russians in U.S. custody, and so therefore it makes any potential deal that much more complicated,” Mr. Conti said. “I do think the U.S. government has been active in their efforts to try and bring Evan home, but it obviously takes a willing partner and takes putting a deal together in order to do that.”

While in prison, Mr. Gershkovich plays a slow-running game of chess with his father through the mail, and works his way through book recommendations from friends, his parents said. He also keeps track of people’s birthdays and milestone events, organizing through others for flowers to be sent, including to his mother and sister on International Women’s Day this month.

“It’s a very small, very isolated place with a small window and very little time outside,” his father said about his son’s cell. “We know it takes a lot of courage and effort and strength to stay put together, to exercise, to meditate, to read books, to write letters, to encourage us to stay strong and hope for the best.”

Mr. Gershkovich exchanges letters weekly with his family, as well as friends and pen pals around the world. A group of his friends set up a website where people can submit letters, which will be translated into Russian, as required by law, and sent to Mr. Gershkovich, who relishes receiving them, his mother said.

“He’s fighting. He’s keeping his spirits up,” Ms. Milman said.

Mr. Gershkovich grew up in Princeton, N.J., the son of Jewish émigrés who had fled the Soviet Union in the 1970s. His parents said he was curious about his Russian heritage from a young age and spoke Russian at home. He also had an interest in people, and went on to study philosophy and English at Bowdoin College in Maine, graduating in 2014. Journalism seemed a perfect fit.

After nearly two years as a news assistant at The New York Times, Mr. Gershkovich moved to Russia in late 2017 to work as a reporter for The Moscow Times. He had a stint with Agence France-Presse before joining The Journal in January 2022, a job his parents said he loved.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Mr. Gershkovich left Moscow, along with most foreign journalists, and relocated to London. But he frequently returned to Russia on reporting trips.

The Wall Street Journal has worked hard to keep Mr. Gershkovich’s plight in the headlines, said Emma Tucker, the editor in chief. The newsroom displays a large photo of him, and colleagues wear “Free Evan” pins. The Journal’s homepage features updates about Mr. Gershkovich’s case, and the company has organized letter-writing campaigns, social media storms and even a 24-hour readathon of Mr. Gershkovich’s reporting.

On Friday, The Journal’s print edition was wrapped in a special section, with a stark, blank page instead of a lead article under Mr. Gershkovich’s byline. The headline: “His Story Should Be Here.”

“We have to keep up the pressure,” Ms. Tucker said. “We refuse to let up.”

His arrest marked a particularly chilling moment in Mr. Putin’s clampdown on independent media and dissent. While hundreds of independent Russian journalists had been run out of the country, Mr. Putin until then hadn’t jailed any Western journalists on charges that would land them in prison.

The Russian authorities arrested Mr. Whelan in 2018, accusing him of espionage in charges that he and the U.S. government deny. In early 2022, the Russian authorities arrested the basketball player Brittney Griner, accusing her of drug smuggling. They later swapped her for a convicted arms trafficker, Viktor Bout, whose repatriation from an American prison they had been pursuing for years.

Ms. Griner’s release at the end of 2022 and the imbalance of the swap — a basketball player caught with some hashish oil for an arms trafficker — raised concerns that Mr. Putin would target other Americans, realizing they could be used as leverage to secure high-profile, dangerous Russians caught in the West.

Mr. Gershkovich’s arrest followed a few months later. It has had wide implications for coverage of Russia, as many major newsrooms pulled their journalists out of the country and reassessed the risk of any reporting in the region. Another journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva, an American-Russian national working for the U.S.-funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, was detained in October when she traveled to Russia to visit her mother. She was charged with failing to register as a foreign agent and remains in detention.

Gulnoza Said, the Europe and Central Asia program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in an interview that journalists in Russia now knew they were “under constant risk.”

“Before Evan’s case, foreign correspondents who may have been perceived as too critical of the Russian policies were denied extension of their visa or accreditation,” Ms. Said explained. “It became clear that the Russian authorities won’t stop at anything in their suppression of independent media.”

Mr. Gershkovich’s parents said they had poured their time into keeping the Biden administration focused on him, meeting with Mr. Biden, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and Jake Sullivan, Mr. Biden’s national security adviser. They traveled to Davos, Switzerland, this year for the World Economic Forum, and were guests at Mr. Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7, when the president said the United States was working “around the clock” to bring Mr. Gershkovich home.

“We know that they’re engaged and President Biden is committed, but we’d like to see a resolution as soon as possible,” Ms. Milman said.

A trial date is expected to be set for Mr. Gershkovich in the coming months, said Mr. Conti, the general counsel at Dow Jones. A trial would be held behind closed doors, with little transparency in the process.

Until then, Mr. Gershkovich’s parents said, they continue to hope for his release.

“We have to be optimistic to keep going,” his father said. “We have no other skills to cope with this.”

Read by Katie Robertson

Paul Sonne contributed reporting. Audio produced by Parin Behrooz .

Katie Robertson covers the media industry for The Times. Email:  [email protected]   More about Katie Robertson

Inside the Media Industry

Amazon:  Amazon is dipping its toe into the news business , with a familiar face. Brian Williams, the longtime news anchor, will host a newscast on the evening of Election Day on Amazon Video, the company said.

The Washington Post:  Will Lewis, the C.E.O. of The Post, has said he has a mandate from the paper’s owner , Jeff Bezos, to grow the business, including through acquisitions.

Tina Brown: For Brown, a Brit who became synonymous with Manhattan media in the 1980s and ’90s, joining the newsletter platform Substack is simply a chance to have fun .

Hearing Things: After Pitchfork was folded into GQ, a group of former employees is striking out on its own. One of the first orders of business is doing away with album scores .

CBS: Shari Redstone, whose Paramount empire controls CBS News, criticized the network’s leadership  for reprimanding a star morning show anchor over his handling of an interview with the writer Ta-Nehisi Coates .

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Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan reunite with their families in U.S. after massive prisoner swap

What we know.

• Four U.S. residents have been released from prison in Russia as part of a massive exchange involving seven nations and 24 people.
• President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris greeted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich , former Marine Paul Whelan , Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva as they arrived in the U.S. late last night. Russia also released Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., who had been jailed on treason charges for 25 years.
• Gershkovich was wrongly sentenced to 16 years in a maximum security prison last month after he was found guilty of espionage in a case that the Journal and the U.S. government condemned as a sham.
• In his first public comments , Gershkovich called for the release of political prisoners languishing in Russian jails. "Nobody knows them publicly, they have various political beliefs," he said.
• Whelan, 54, who had been detained since he visited Russia for a friend’s wedding in 2018, was also convicted of espionage and had been serving a 16-year sentence in a penal colony. "I’m glad I’m home. I’m never going back there again," he told reporters.
• The three released prisoners were offered medical assessments at Brooke Army Medical Center, a defense official told NBC News.

This live blog is now closed. For the latest on this story, please click here .

Jake Sullivan defends Biden admin's work on releasing U.S. prisoners around the world

Patrick Smith

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan has said he will continue to fight to release more U.S. citizens detained in Russia after complaints from their families that their loved ones weren't part of this week's deal.

Speaking to NBC’s “TODAY” show this morning from the White House, Sullivan defended the administration's record and said there were now fewer Americans detained abroad than when Biden came to power in 2020.

"These are very tough decisions and the president has to weigh, as do the other leaders, giving up criminals to get Americans and other citizens home," he said.

"But at the end of the day, the president asked this question: 'Am I going to let these people rot for life in a Russian jail?' And his answer to that question was no.

Sullivan was asked about a statement from the family of school teacher Marc Fogel, who said they were "heartbroken" that he remained detained after the current prisoner release. They argued that Fogel is not rich, doesn't have powerful connections, and has been left to die in prison.

"Paul Whelan, a former Marine who we got out of Russia is not powerful and politically connected, Trevor Reed, another former Marine who we got out of Russia, is not powerful or politically connected," Sullivan responded.

Sullivan said the administration was working daily "to get more than 70 Americans out of prison or out of hostage-taking situations around the world," adding that he personally continues to work on the Fogel case.

Evan Gershkovich calls for the release of political prisoners in Russia

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich called for the release of political prisoners languishing in Russian jails, in his first public comments since being released from prison in Russia.

“I just spent a month in prison in Yekaterinburg where basically everyone I was sat with is a political prisoner. Nobody knows them publicly, they have various political beliefs, they’re not all Navalny supporters, everybody knows about them,” he said on the runway, having just stepped off the flight from Russia to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.

“Today was a really touching moment ... but it would be good to see if we could potentially do something about them as well, “ he said.

Asked how he was doing, the journalist said: “I’m all right, it was a good flight,” adding that the show of support had been “overwhelming.”

Paul Whelan: 'This is how Putin runs his country'

Paul Whelan, the former U.S. Marine who was detained after a friend’s wedding in Russia five years ago, has thanked the many thousands of supporters who sent cards and messages of encouragement during his detainment, and described the charges against him as "nonsense."

“So, I went on a two-week vacation, you know, the FSB grabbed me, said I was a spy,” he said of his arrest by Russia’s intelligence service in 2018.

“This is the nonsense narrative they came up with and they just, they wouldn’t let it go. So, this is how Putin runs his government. This is how Putin runs his country. Yeah, I’m glad I’m home. I’m never going back there again,” he said.

He also told reporters at the Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio early today that President Joe Biden had given him the U.S. flag pin he was wearing.

Whelan said he was “looking forward to seeing my family down here and recuperating from five years, seven months and five days of just absolute nonsense by the Russian government.”

He said the release didn’t feel real until their plane flew over Britain.

“I’m a British citizen, Irish citizen, Canadian and American. So, as we came over England, and I looked down, you know, that’s when it became real,” he said.

Whelan said he had so many letters and cards arriving for him in prison that the FSB, the Russian security agency, stopped handing them over.

Released prisoners and their families land in San Antonio

The three released Americans and their families arrived at Kelly Field Air Force Base in San Antonio early today and expressed their relief at the end of their long ordeals.

Pool footage of the former prisoners showed them smiling and talking to journalists inside an aircraft hangar at the base. The plane carrying Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva previously landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at 11:38 p.m. last night.

Biden expresses 'satisfaction' at bringing prisoners home

Speaking after meeting with the newly freed Americans, Biden told reporters that he felt "satisfaction" at bringing them home.

Biden said the prisoner exchange was about families being able to have access to loved ones.

Harris, meanwhile, praised American leadership. "This is an example of the strength of American leadership in bringing nations together,” she told reporters.

President says other countries made difficult decisions to get deal done

Phil Helsel

Biden said other countries made difficult decisions in making the exchange happen, and he singled out Germany, which agreed to release a convicted hitman who killed someone in Berlin, as well as the chancellor of Slovenia.

“The toughest call on this one was for other countries, because I asked them to do some things that were against their immediate self-interests — and it was very difficult for them to do," Biden told reporters on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews after three Americans were back on U.S. soil late last night.

Biden and Harris said the remarkable prisoner exchange with Russia highlighted the importance of diplomacy and having allies.

'We've got more work to do,' Biden says

Megan Lebowitz

Moments after Biden welcomed home the newly freed Americans, he spoke to reporters.

“We've got more work to do," he said, while he praised allies’ help with pushing the prisoner deal forward.

“My job is to make sure, No. 1, they don’t get them,” Biden said, referring to countries imprisoning Americans. “And if they do, we get them back.”

Harris said she is thankful for Biden and his ability to bring allies together.

Biden shared videos of freed Americans’ families talking to loved ones

Biden posted a video to X of him and the families of the Americans freed in the prisoner swap talking on the phone with their loved ones.

“No word is strong enough for this,” Vladimir Kara-Murza said in the video. “I was sure I’m going to die in prison because I don’t believe what’s happening.”

“You’ve done a wonderful thing by saving so many people,” Kara-Murza added.

Biden, Harris welcome home Americans on tarmac

Biden and Harris greeted freed Americans Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva on the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews.

Friends, family members and officials are also there.

The plane touched down around 11:38 p.m. Biden and Harris stood at the base of the stairs to greet the freed Americans as they stepped off the jet.

Biden and Harris were seen talking to Whelan after he got off the jet. Biden and Whelan hugged. Gershkovich was next and was greeted by the president and the vice president, and then was followed by Kurmasheva.

Kurmasheva hugged her two children and husband. There was applause as each former prisoner hugged their family back on U.S. soil.

Cameras did not pick up what was said between the three Americans and the president and the vice president.

Freed Americans touch down on U.S. soil

A plane with freed Americans Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva has touched down at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

The Americans are among 16 people released from Russian detention in a negotiated deal with the U.S. and other nations.

The plane touched down at 11:38 p.m.

They will be greeted by Biden and Harris.

Families of Americans at Joint Base Andrews to welcome them home

The families of Gershkovich, Whelan and Kurmasheva, held hostage in Russia but freed in an exchange, are at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, awaiting a plane carrying them home.

The jet is expected to touch down shortly.

VP Harris says she called Alexei Navalny's widow after prisoner swap

Harris said she called Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, following the massive deal that led to the release of people imprisoned in Russia, including members of Navalny’s team.

“Some of them worked with Navalny to combat corruption and build a free, democratic Russia,” Harris said on X.

“I thanked Yulia for her courage in continuing her husband’s work and reaffirmed my commitment to stand with those fighting for freedom in Russia and around the world,” Harris wrote.

Navalny survived being poisoned in 2020 and was sentenced to a combined 30 ½-year jail sentence in Russia. He died in prison in February at age 47.

Biden and others directly blamed Putin. “Make no mistake, Putin is responsible for Navalny’s death,” Biden said at the time.

Freed Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza was pallbearer at John McCain funeral

Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, freed from a 25-year sentence at a Siberian penal colony as part of today’s massive prisoner exchange, was a pallbearer at the funeral of Sen. John McCain .

Kara-Murza is a fierce critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a promoter of a democratic Russia.

He was twice poisoned, and he was imprisoned after he criticized Putin over Russia’s 2022 unprovoked attack on Ukraine.

“Vladimir Kara-Murza, who honored Senator John McCain as a pallbearer, embodies the unwavering spirit of democracy,” the McCain Institute said in a statement today .

“Despite facing multiple assassination attempts orchestrated by the Kremlin, his steadfast commitment to promoting human rights in Russia continues to inspire hope for a just future,” the institute said.

McCain, R-Ariz., died in 2018.

Kara-Murza is Russian, but he is an American green-card holder.

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell issue statement

The Republican House speaker and the Senate minority leader said in a statement about the release of Americans wrongfully jailed in Russia that the deal “does little to discourage Putin’s reprehensible behavior.”

“The release of innocent Americans and Russian political prisoners from wrongful detention is encouraging news. We eagerly await the return of Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza to their homes and loved ones and will continue pressing for all Americans to be released,” said Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

“Their unjust captivity will be an enduring reminder of the Russian government’s longstanding fear of free people and the free press. And the continued imprisonment of American citizens and innocent Russians is a damning indictment of Vladimir Putin’s hostility to the United States and his disdain for the rule of law.

“Without serious action to deter further hostage-taking by Russia, Iran, and other states hostile to the United States, the costs of hostage diplomacy will continue to rise. As we renew our call for the return of all persons wrongfully detained by the Kremlin, we recognize that trading hardened Russian criminals for innocent Americans does little to discourage Putin’s reprehensible behavior.”

'It’s hard to describe what today feels like,' Gershkovich family says

Evan Gershkovich’s family released the following statement:

“We have waited 491 days for Evan’s release, and it’s hard to describe what today feels like. We can’t wait to give him the biggest hug and see his sweet and brave smile up close. Most important now is taking care of Evan and being together again. No family should have to go through this, and so we share relief and joy today with Paul and Alsu’s families.

“We are grateful to President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Jake Sullivan, Chancellor Scholz and every U.S. or foreign government official who helped get Evan released.

“Our family has felt so much love and support from Evan’s fellow journalists, his wonderful friends, and many, many people around the world. It made a difference to Evan and to us. And we especially thank Evan’s colleagues at Dow Jones and The Wall Street Journal. They have taken care of Evan and our entire family since the beginning, and we are forever grateful.

“The Gershkovich Family

“Ella Milman, Mikhail Gershkovich and Danielle Gershkovich”

German Chancellor Scholz says jailed Memorial co-chair among those being released by Russia

Carlo Angerer

A co-chair of the Nobel Peace Prize recipient organization Memorial and several members of the team of the late dissident Alexei Navalny are among the Germans Russia is releasing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

He did not name the people expected to be released. The U.S. earlier identified Oleg Orlov, a co-chair of Memorial, as those to be released.

Orlov was sentenced in February to 2½ years after he wrote in 2022, the year Russia invaded Ukraine in an unprovoked attack, that Russia under Putin had descended into fascism, Reuters reported at the time.

Memorial is a Russian human rights organization that was founded in 1987, when the Soviet Union still existed. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022 “for its fight for human rights, democracy, and peaceful co-existence,” the Nobel Peace Center said.

Wall Street Journal newsroom erupted in applause, cheers at news of reporter's release

Video posted on X by Wall Street Journal senior executive producer Vaughn Sterling shows applause and reaction in the newspaper's newsroom on the announcement of the exchange to free Gershkovich and others.

Committee to Protect Journalists say 320 journalists are imprisoned around the world

The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed the release of wrongfully detained reporters released in a deal with Russia and said more than 300 journalists remain jailed around the world.

The 320 jailed journalists found in the group’s most recent census are the second most it has ever recorded.

"Evan and Alsu have been apart from their families for far too long," CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg said in a statement , referring to Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva.

"They were detained and sentenced on spurious charges intended to punish them for their journalism and stifle independent reporting. Their release is welcome — but it does not change the fact that Russia continues to suppress a free press," Ginsberg said.

China, Myanmar, Belarus and Russia led the list with the most jailed journalists, th e census showed.

Kirby tells Americans, ‘Absolutely don’t go to Russia right now’

National Security Council spokesman John Kirby issued a stark warning to all Americans as released U.S. citizens unjustly jailed in Russia were returning home in a prisoner exchange.

“Absolutely, don’t go to Russia right now,” Kirby said on MSNBC.

Kirby was asked whether prisoner exchanges like today’s could encourage countries to take hostages, and he said he wasn’t sure that was the case.

“I think it’s an open question that that precept is actually true, that negotiating a deal like this just encourages more hostage-taking. The truth is we haven’t seen data that actually confirms that that’s the case,” Kirby said.

“I mean, even when you’re not negotiating deals, bad actors like Russia, bad actors like Iran are still taking hostages,” he said.

The State Department warns U.S. citizens about countries where there is a risk of being detained, and he encouraged any American considering travel to view those warnings.

Alsu Kurmasheva's husband says call of freedom ‘very moving’

The husband of freed journalist Alsu Kurmasheva said he spoke to her from the Oval Office next to Biden and other families.

“It was so overwhelming. It was such a mix of emotions — and the setting was very special to us, because we got to speak from the Oval Office standing next to the president with all the other families,” Pavel Butorin said in a brief phone interview this evening.

Butorin will be at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, near Washington, as Kurmasheva and other Americans return home after their detention in Russia.

A Russian court last month sentenced Kurmasheva, a Russian American journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, to 6 ½ years in prison .

Butorin has said her arrest was related to a book she edited, “Saying No to War. 40 Stories of Russians Who Oppose the Russian Invasion of Ukraine," Reuters reported at the time of her sentence.

Russia has made it a crime to discuss its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including calling it a war.

“It was a very moving experience,” Butorin said of the Oval Office call. “I don’t even really remember what she said — I do remember her saying, ‘I love you guys.’”

Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes freed prisoners in Germany

The Associated Press

Chancellor Olaf Scholz has welcomed Germans and Russians freed in the prisoner swap to Germany and says he had “very moving” conversations with them.

Scholz said after they landed at Cologne/Bonn Airport late today that “all arrived safe and sound” and will undergo health checks in the coming days.

He said that “many did not expect this to happen now and are still full of the feelings that are connected with suddenly being free.” He added that “many feared for their health and their lives; that must be said very clearly.”

The 16 prisoners freed by Russia and Belarus included five German citizens, and the deal involved Germany's deporting Vadim Krasikov to Russia. Krasikov was serving a life prison sentence for what judges concluded was a Russian state-ordered killing in Berlin in 2019.

Scholz said: “I think this is the right decision. And if you had any doubts, then you lose them after speaking with those who are now free.”

He said it was “a special moment for me, a moment that certainly has also very much intensified the friendship between the U.S and Germany.”

The role Harris played in making the exchange deal happen

Carol E. Lee Carol E. Lee is the Washington managing editor.

Gabe Gutierrez

In February, Harris met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, asked most of the aides to leave them and asked for Scholz’ help with a planned prisoner exchange with Russia, a White House official said.

Harris raised something Biden had recently discussed with Scholz — that Germany’s release of Vadim Krasikov was a critical component of getting a prisoner swap, the official said.

Krasikov, who was released as part of the exchange, is a Russian hitman who was jailed for life in Germany for the murder of a former Chechen militant in Berlin.

The meeting between Harris and Scholz occurred on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“She moved the ball forward significantly in that meeting,” the White House official said.

At Munich, Harris also met with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in a meeting arranged specifically to try to help bring Slovenia on board with the multicountry prisoner swap, the White House official said.

Freed Americans expected to be offered post-isolation support

Mosheh Gains

Courtney Kube

After their arrival at Joint Base Andrews tonight, Whelan, Gershkovich and Kurmasheva and their families will be offered a flight to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to receive post-isolation support at Brooke Army Medical Center, a defense official told NBC News.

They are due to arrive at 11:30 p.m. ET and are expected to be welcomed home by Biden and Harris.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was on the tarmac at Vnukovo Inernational Airport to offer hugs and handshakes to returnees who were released in the prisoner exchange deal with the U.S.

Griner: Any day Americans come home, that’s a win

VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France — Brittney Griner knows only too well the swirling emotions of being involved in a prisoner swap, and she said tonight that she is “head over heels” that fellow Americans are going home from Russia.

“Great day. It’s a great day. It’s a great day,” Griner said after the U.S. women’s basketball team beat Belgium 87-74 to clinch a berth in the Paris Games quarterfinals. “We’ll talk more about it later. But head over heels happy for the families right now. Any day that Americans come home, that’s a win. That’s a win.”

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, went through her own high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia in 2022 after having been sentenced to nine years in jail for drug possession and smuggling that year.

Following the release of prisoners held in Russia, Harris told reporters, “It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over.”

She added that she is committed to bringing back Americans who have been wrongfully detained or held hostage. 

‘He’s definitely not going to stop,’ associate says of dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza

The head of a global campaign that has led to sanctions against Russian officials who knows dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza says the outspoken Putin critic is not going to stay silent now that he is free.

"He’s definitely not going to stop," William Browder, who heads the Global Magnitsky Justice Campaign, said on MSNBC.

Kara-Murza helped get the 2012 Magnitsky Act passed. The law, which allows the U.S. to freeze the assets of human rights offenders, is named after Sergei Magnitsky, a whistleblowing attorney who died in a Russian prison.

"In fact, I just got a letter from him from prison last week where he told me that he’s learning Spanish," Browder said of Kara-Murza.

“And the reason he’s learning Spanish is he wants to go down to Latin America and get the Latin American countries to pass Magnitsky Acts so they can freeze the assets of the Putin regime and other Russian criminals,” he said.

Kara-Murza was arrested in April 2022 after he spoke out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine and was sentenced to a Siberian penal colony , and Browder said he would have died there but for this exchange. Kara-Murza also survived two poisoning attempts in 2015 and 2017, Browder said.

"He will go back full-steam," Browder said. "But the one thing he won't do — because I won't let him — is go back into Russia."

Video from Russia’s security service, the FSB, shows Gershkovich and Whelan boarding a plane along with Vladimir Kara-Murza, Patrick Schobel and Vadim Ostanin.

Russians released in prisoner swap land in Moscow

Daniella Silva

Russian President Vladimir Putin greeted the Russian prisoners released in the multinational prisoner swap today after they landed in Moscow.

“I would like to address those of you who are directly involved in military service. I would like to thank you for your loyalty to your oath, your duty and your Motherland, which has not forgotten you for even a minute,” Putin said on Russian state television. “And now, you are home.”

The first man greeted Putin greeted was Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed for life in Germany for the 2019 murder in Berlin of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist, in what prosecutors believed was a Russian state-sanctioned assassination.

“All of you will be presented with state awards. We will see each other again, talk about your future,” he said. “Now I just want to congratulate you on your return home.”

Biden and Harris to welcome freed Americans at 11:30 p.m.

President Biden and Vice President Harris are scheduled to greet Americans freed from wrongful detention in Russia tonight at around 11:30 p.m. at Joint Base Andrews, according to a schedule released by the White House.

Voice of America welcomes release of Kurmasheva and others

Voice of America today said it was welcoming home Alsu Kurmasheva, a reporter with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, as well as Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich, and Washington Post contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Radio Free Europe is a private nonprofit organization that is funded through a grant by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also oversees Voice of America.

"Their unjust imprisonment highlights the urgent need to redouble efforts to protect the safety of journalists under threat simply for doing their jobs," Voice of America said in a statement .

Russia says 8 citizens, as well as children, were returned in swap

The Russian Federal Security Service said today that eight of its citizens, including children, who were detained and imprisoned in a number of NATO countries “were returned to their homeland as a result of an exchange that took place at the airport in Ankara.” Turkey previously said 10 prisoners, including two children, had been transferred to Russia.

“Their return was made possible thanks to the systematic and task-oriented work of representatives of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other competent government agencies, as well as foreign partners,” the Russian government said. 

“The Russian citizens were exchanged for a group of individuals who acted in the interests of foreign states to the detriment of the security of the Russian Federation,” the statement said.

Four U.S. residents who were wrongly imprisoned in Russia were released and on their way home Thursday.

Harris played ‘critical’ role in negotiations, WH press secretary says

Caryn Littler

Vice President Kamala Harris played “a critical role in this diplomacy at a number of key moments” leading to the prisoner exchange, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said today.

“She met with the chancellor of Germany in Munich to help pave the way,” Jean-Pierre said.

“She also met with the prime minister of Slovenia to help bring them into the negotiations,” she added. “They were partners in this and then you’ll see her tonight join the president to welcome back those Americans who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia.”

Gershkovich family ‘on the moon’ over release, Journal editor says

Wall Street Journal associate editor Paul Beckett said today on MSNBC that there had been brief communication with Gershkovich’s family “and they’re just on the moon” over his release.

Beckett said that in the Journal newsroom today, there were “tears of relief, smiles of joy, huge gratitude.”

“We’re incredibly excited and exhausted at the same time, and that’s how we’re feeling, so you know, can only imagine how Evan and his amazing family are doing as they wait to be reunited in a few hours,” he said.

What Biden administration has said about negotiations over Marc Fogel's release

A senior administration official stated today that the Biden administration has been working to negotiate Marc Fogel's release since as early as the negotiations for the release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.

The senior official said it was the same case in today’s deal.

“We absolutely wanted Mark to be included. But it just wasn’t going to happen. You do the best you can and you get what you can,” the official said.

The official said that after years of trying, in this case they were able to secure the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan , but not Fogel. 

“What that tells us is we have got to keep redoubling our efforts, and we are,” the official said. “I can assure you that there are ongoing conversations and dialogue about Marc and about trying to get him released.”

“We understand that today, it will be a tough day for the Fogel family,” the official said. “We just want to make sure that they understand we have not forgotten Mark. And we’re going to continue to work for his release.”

Family of Marc Fogel, still held in Russia, is ‘heartbroken and outraged’

The family of Marc Fogel, an American serving 14 years in a Russian prison who was not released today, said that “for the second time in three years since Marc Fogel’s detention in Russia, we are completely heartbroken and outraged that Marc has been left behind while the U.S. government brought other Americans home.” 

Fogel had been teaching in Russia and was sentenced to 14 years for having a small amount of medical cannabis that had been prescribed to him in the U.S., but was illegal in Russia.

“Today, Marc is missing from the historic prisoner exchange orchestrated by the Biden Administration,” the family said in a statement through its attorney Sasha Phillips.

“It is incomprehensible that the U.S. government, which has secured the release of other Americans and even foreign nationals detained long after Marc, has refused to do the same for Marc Fogel,” the family said. “This glaring injustice and indifference are unacceptable. It is wrong, unfair, and not the America we know and love.”

The family said Marc was not rich, a celebrity or connected to powerful patrons, but was supported by his family in the fight for his freedom.

“This fight has been met not with support and understanding, but with stonewalling, double standards, and—today—abandoning Marc to die in prison for less than an ounce of medical marijuana prescribed to manage his severe decades-long spinal disease,” the statement said. 

“We refuse to remain silent and will continue to fight for Marc. We demand immediate action to secure Marc’s release and call on President Biden, Secretary Blinken, Deputy Secretary Verma, and National Security Advisor Sullivan to say Marc Fogel’s name, designate him as wrongfully detained, and bring him home. The time for half-measures is over; we need results now,” the family said. 

A senior administration official told NBC News earlier that the White House plans to restart efforts to get Fogel and other wrongfully detained Americans out of Russia.

Schumer says released prisoners have shown ‘incredible resilience and courage’

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said today that “after years of brutal and wrongful detention in Russia at the hands of Putin’s regime, Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza are finally on their way home.” 

“Today is a joyous day for their families who have waited a long time to see their loved ones,” he said. 

Schumer said that throughout their “heart wrenching imprisonment, they have remained strong and they have showed the world their incredible resilience and courage.”

Schumer said he was "proud to stand shoulder to shoulder" with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell "in a bipartisan show of unity to fight for their safe return, and I commend President Biden for getting them home."

He said it took “painstaking and intense negotiations to return these Americans to freedom.”

“Vladimir Putin’s thuggish tactic of using Americans as bargaining chips only shows his weakness and desperation, not strength, as he seeks to bring back the failed Soviet-style repression at home and aggression abroad,” he said. 

“For other Americans held hostage or unjustly imprisoned around the world, today shines as a beacon of hope that America will never give up on you,” he said.

Biden posts photo of Americans on a plane heading back to U.S.

President Biden posted a photo on X of the Americans heading back to the U.S.

"After enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty, the Americans detained in Russia are safe, free, and have begun their journeys back into the arms of their families," Biden wrote in the post.

Putin signs decree pardoning released prisoners

Natasha Lebedeva

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree to pardon more than a dozen of the prisoners, including the three Americans and one U.S. resident , who were freed in a multicountry swap, the Kremlin said .

The move was done with "the aim of returning Russian citizens detained and imprisoned in foreign countries," according to the Kremlin. It also said it was "grateful to the leadership of all countries that provided assistance in preparing the exchange."

Turkey calls swap ‘the most extensive prisoner exchange operation of recent times’

The Turkish government said today that “the most extensive prisoner exchange operation of recent times took place in Ankara” and involved a total of 26 people from prisons in seven countries — the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.

The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that seven aircraft, two from the U.S., and one each from Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Russia, had transported prisoners to Turkey as part of the exchange. 

Ten prisoners, including two children, were later transferred to Russia, 13 to Germany, and three to the United States, the Turkish government said.

The statement said Turkey “will continue to make every contribution to ensure international peace and stability.”

Biden and Harris will be at Joint Base Andrews to welcome released citizens

President Biden and Vice President Harris will be at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland tonight to welcome the three released U.S. citizens when they arrive on U.S. soil, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said today during the White House Press briefing. The three are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, a legal permanent resident, will be traveling to Germany, where his family will meet him after standing with Biden during his address earlier today, Sullivan said. 

“We expect him back here in the United States soon,” Sullivan said, where he will be able to see the president and others in the U.S. government. 

Former Russian president mocks released prisoners

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on his official Telegram channel that he would like for the "traitors of Russia to rot in prison or die in jail, as has often happened” in remarks about the high-profile prisoner exchange, which included three U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident who were all wrongfully imprisoned.

"But it is more useful to get out our own, who worked for the country, for the Fatherland, for all of us,” said Medvedev, who is also deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, which is chaired by Vladimir Putin. “Let the traitors now feverishly select new names and actively disguise themselves under a witness protection program.”

Two Russian cybercriminals among those released

Kevin Collier

Two of the Russian prisoners released today are convicted cybercriminals who the U.S. says stole hundreds of millions of dollars from Americans.

Many of the most persistent cybercriminals who attack Americans hail from Russia, which does not extradite its citizens. Western law enforcement generally considers it a major victory to get any prominent Russian criminal hacker behind bars, making their release remarkable.

The two men, both in their 40s, are Vladislav Klyushin, part of a ring that hacked U.S. earnings reports to game the stock market; and Roman Seleznev, a seasoned credit card thief and son of a Russian lawmaker .

Read more here about the Russians freed in today’s prisoner swap.

Three Russians released from U.S. custody were prosecuted by DOJ

Ken Dilanian

The three Russians released from U.S. custody in today’s prisoner swap had been prosecuted by the Department of Justice. Two of them had been convicted and sentenced. 

Vladislav Klyushin was sentenced to 9 years in U.S. prison in September 2023 after being convicted of participating in a $93 million insider trading scheme involving confidential earnings information obtained by hacking security databases. He claimed he turned down efforts to recruit him as a spy by the CIA and Britain’s MI6.

Roman Seleznev was sentenced in 2017 to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to a $9 million bank fraud conspiracy and involvement in a cybercrime ring for $50 million in online identity theft. 

Vadim Konoshchenok was arrested in Estonia last year and extradited to the U.S. on an indictment charging him with conspiracy and other charges related to a global procurement and money laundering network on behalf of the Russian government.  The U.S. suspected he had ties to Russia’s Federal Security Service. He had not been tried and convicted. 

 The Justice Department declined to comment.

Read more here about the Russians freed in today's prisoner swap.

Blinken says 3 U.S. citizens released sounded 'strong of spirit'

Abigail Williams

Blinken spoke by phone to the three U.S. citizens released today in a prisoner swap and said they sounded "strong of spirit."

“They all sounded strong of voice, strong of mind, strong of spirit,” Blinken said, speaking from the Yokota Air Base, a Japanese and American air force base in Tokyo, Japan.

“I told them the hospitality at home would probably be a lot better than the hospitality they have been receiving. It was just very good to actually hear them,” he said.

Department spokesperson Matt Miller said that while on the tarmac, Blinken spoke with Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist Alsu Kurmasheva while the three were together in Ankara.

Blinken was asked about the Russians getting back Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed for life in Germany for the 2019 murder in Berlin of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist, in what prosecutors believed was a Russian state-sanctioned assassination.

He said, “These are always incredibly hard decisions” and the nature of the prisoners swapped “shows you what they value, shows you what we value.”

Reporters Without Borders says it’s ‘hugely relieved’ by release of two journalists

Reporters Without Borders, a press freedom advocacy group, said it was “hugely relieved” that journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva “are finally free.”

The group also said that it “condemns the Kremlin’s arbitrary detention of these journalists, which amounts to state hostage-taking.”

“We are hugely relieved by reports that both Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva have been released, following 16 months of detention for Gershkovich, and nine months for Kurmasheva,” Rebecca Vincent, the director of campaigns for Reporters Without Borders, said in the statement. 

“Neither should have spent a single day in a Russian prison for doing their jobs as journalists.,” Vincent said. “As we await confirmation of their safe return to the United States, we emphasize that journalists are not targets and must not be used as political pawns in this way. The international community must make clear to the Russian government that their outrageous practice of state hostage-taking will not be tolerated. In the meantime, we continue to advocate for the release of the more than 40 other journalists who remain detained in Russia in connection with their work.”

Biden calls out Trump for comments on ability to release prisoners 

When asked during his address to respond to former President Donald Trump’s comments that he could have secured the release of U.S. prisoners without giving up anything in exchange, Biden said, “Why didn’t he do it when he was president?”

Biden leads singing of 'Happy Birthday' to daughter of released prisoner

During his address today, President Biden led the singing of "Happy Birthday" to Miriam Butorin, the daughter of journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. He mentioned she was turning 13 tomorrow, following the long-awaited release of her mother.

"Now, she gets to celebrate with her mom. That’s what this is all about, families able to be together again, but they should have been all along," Biden said during his address. 

"Thank you again to everyone who did their part. In just a few hours, welcome home, our fellow Americans," Biden said. "We’re looking forward to that, God willing, Thank you. And it’s a good day."

Biden thanks allies for making ‘bold and brave decisions’ for prisoners’ release

Biden said during his address today that the release of the four U.S. residents and others, “would not have been made possible without our allies, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway and Turkey, they all stepped up, and they stood with us.” 

“They made bold and brave decisions, released prisoners being held in their countries who were justifiably being held and provided logistical support to get the Americans home,” he said.

Biden said his administration and the United States “work relentlessly to free Americans who are unjustly held around the world.”

He also said the State Department has introduced new warnings for Americans about the risk of being wrongfully detained by foreign governments.

“Deals like this one come with tough calls. There are never any guarantees,” he said. “There’s nothing that matters more to me protecting Americans at home and abroad and so we’ll continue to work for the release of all wrongfully detained Americans around the world.”

The multiple family members of released prisoners who joined Biden during his address

Elyse Perlmutter-Gumbiner

Multiple family members of the four released U.S. residents joined Biden during his address today, the White House said.

To the president’s right were Elizabeth Whelan, the sister of Paul Whelan; Pavel Butorin, the husband, Bibi Butorin, the daughter, and Miriam Butorin, the daughter, of Alsu Kurmasheva; and to the president’s left, Mikhail Gershkovich, the father, Ella Milman, the mother, Danielle Gershkovich, the sister, Anthony Huczek, the brother-in-law, of Evan Gershkovich; and Evgeniya Kara-Murza, the wife, Ekaterina Kara-Murza, the daughter, Daniil Kara-Murza, the son, of Vladimir Kara-Murza.

Who were the most notable Russian prisoners released?

The most notable Russian prisoner released as part of the swap is Vadim Krasikov, who was jailed for life in Germany for the 2019 murder in Berlin of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a former Chechen separatist,   in what prosecutors believed was a Russian state-sanctioned assassination. Russian authorities say they believed Khangoshvili was involved in multiple attacks on Russian soil, including the 2010 suicide bombings on the Moscow Metro. 

The U.S. released three Russian prisoners, including an  intelligence operative  facing charges of smuggling U.S. technology and ammunition to the Russian military. Slovenia released two Russian prisoners, Norway and Poland each released one.

Russia released   12 German prisoners, most of them connected to opposition leader  Alexei Navalny  who died in prison in February, following a yearslong struggle against official corruption and  President Vladimir Putin’s  government that included  several poisoning attempts . 

Read full story here.

VP Harris celebrates release of those ‘unjustly held in Russia’

Vice President Kamala Harris said today that “we celebrate the release of Paul, Evan, Alsu, Vladimir and others who were unjustly held in Russia.”

“It gives me great comfort to know that their horrible ordeal is over and that they will soon be reunited with their families,” Harris said in a post on X , and added that she and President Biden “will not stop working until every American who is wrongfully detained or held hostage is brought home.”

Biden addresses nation joined by families of released U.S. prisoners

President Joe Biden addressed the nation today, with the families of newly released U.S. prisoners at his side, to say that the four U.S. residents will soon be "wheels up on their way home to see their families.”

“Now, their brutal ordeal is over and they’re free,” Biden said. “Moments ago, families and I were able to speak to them on the telephone from the Oval Office. They’re out of Russia. Earlier today, they were flown to Turkey, and soon they will be wheels up on their way home to see their families.”

"This is an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here. It’s relief to the friends and colleagues all across the country who have been praying for this day for a long time," Biden said. "The deal that made this possible was the feat of diplomacy and friendship."

American reporter 'did nothing wrong,' employer says

Valeriya Antonshchuk

With the release of Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva , her employer, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, said in a statement celebrating her freedom that she was "targeted because she was an American journalist who was simply trying to take care of a family member inside Russia."

"She did nothing wrong and certainly did not deserve the unjust treatment and forced separation from her loving family members and colleagues," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty CEO Stephen Capus said. Kurmasheva had been detained since October on a charge of spreading false information.

Capus said the media outlet still has three other journalists imprisoned in Belarus and Russian-occupied Crimea. "We will not rest until all our unjustly detained journalists are home safe. Journalism is not a crime," he added.

'Paul Whelan is free,' says brother of former U.S. Marine

Whelan's brother thanked President Biden and others for the release of his family member after “Paul was held hostage for 2,043 days.”

"Paul Whelan is free. Our family is grateful to the United States government for making Paul’s freedom a reality. We’d like to thank President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and National Security Advisor Sullivan for their engagement with the Russian Federation to create the environment where Paul’s freedom became a possibility," David Whelan said in a statement today.

He went on to thank members of Congress and people who supported his brother’s release "from across the globe."

"There is no way to thank the many Americans and others who helped and gave hope to Paul from afar, writing letters and donating to his GoFundMe prison account," he said in the statement. "We are grateful for the assistance that, like Paul’s extended family, came from across the globe."

David Whelan also said that "we were discouraged from speaking out about Paul’s case."

"But we believe the media attention has been a crucial factor in securing Paul’s freedom," he said. “Those first years were hard when the Trump Administration ignored Paul’s wrongful detention, and it was media attention that helped to finally create critical mass and awareness within the U.S. government.” 

“Paul Whelan is not in a Russian labor colony any longer, but he is not home,” his brother said. “While Paul was wrongfully imprisoned in Russia, he lost his home. He lost his job. We are unsure how someone overcomes these losses and rejoins society after being a hostage.” 

David Whelen ended his statement reiterating, “we are grateful for everyone’s efforts to help Paul while he was away” and asked for space and privacy for his brother.

Blinken: Release of prisoners was achieved through ‘extraordinary efforts’

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said of the release of the four U.S. residents today that "through the extraordinary efforts of countless people in the State Department and across our government, the United States was able to strike an agreement to secure their freedom, as well as that of Vladimir Kara-Murza and twelve others held prisoner inside Russia."

Blinken said the U.S. was grateful for the support from allies that made the deal possible and appreciated the Turkish government for providing a location for the safe return of individuals to the U.S. and Germany. 

"Through many difficult conversations over the past several years, I told the families of those wrongfully detained in Russia that we would not forget them," Blinken said. "I know there are many times over those years where they have wondered if our work would ever bear fruit. But I also know that they never gave up hope, and neither did we."

"My pledge to the families of those still separated from their families is the same that I made to those returning home today," he said. "We will not forget you, and we will not rest until you see your loved ones again."

These are the Americans and U.S. resident freed by the Russians

Corky Siemaszko

Three Americans and one permanent U.S. resident were among those freed from Russian captivity Thursday in one the biggest prisoner exchanges since the Cold War — a feat of dogged diplomacy that involved half-a-dozen countries and took months to pull off.

Wall Street Journal reporter  Evan Gershkovich,  who was convicted in July of espionage after what the U.S. government and his employer called a sham trial, was released after months of public campaigning by his newspaper, family and fellow journalists from around the world.

The cause of former Marine  Paul Whelan , who was arrested in 2018 and convicted of espionage, was championed largely by his family and he was freed after having already served four years of a 16-year sentence in a grim Russian prison.

Two more of the released prisoners are also journalists:  Vladimir Kara-Murza , a dual Russian British national critical of the Kremlin, and  Alsu Kurmasheva , a Russian American reporter with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty who is also a permanent resident of the U.S.

Read the full story here.

Biden says U.S. prisoners ‘who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home’

President Joe Biden said in a statement today that the three Americans and one American green-card holder "who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia are finally coming home."

"The deal that secured their freedom was a feat of diplomacy. All told, we’ve negotiated the release of 16 people from Russia—including five Germans and seven Russian citizens who were political prisoners in their own country," Biden said. "Some of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty. Today, their agony is over."

Biden said he was grateful to the U.S. allies "who stood with us throughout tough, complex negotiations to achieve this outcome— including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey."

"This is a powerful example of why it’s vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon. Our alliances make Americans safer," the president said. 

Biden said he "will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family" and that his administration has brought home more than 70 such Americans, "many of whom were in captivity since before I took office."

"Still, too many families are suffering and separated from their loved ones, and I have no higher priority as President than bringing those Americans home," he said.

 "Today, we celebrate the return of Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir and rejoice with their families," Biden said. "We remember all those still wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world. And reaffirm our pledge to their families: We see you. We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong."

White House official says prisoner exchange is ‘historic’

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that today’s prisoner exchange was “historic.”

“Not since the Cold War has there been a similar number of individuals exchanged in this way and there has never, so far as we know, been an exchange involving so many countries, so many close U.S. partners and allies working together,” Sullivan said on a call with reporters.

“It’s the culmination of many rounds of complex, painstaking negotiations over many, many months,” he said.

NSC details names of those involved in prisoner exchange between multiple countries

The White House National Security Council said in a press call today that the three U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident returning home from Russia, include: Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, Alsu Kurmasheva, and legal permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza.

The 12 German nationals and who will return to Germany, include: Dieter Voronin, Kevin Lick, Rico Krieger, Patrick Schoebel, Herman Moyzhes, Ilya Yashin, Liliya Chanysheva, Kseniya Fadeyeva, Vadim Ostanin, Andrey Pivovarov, Oleg Orlov, Sasha Skochilenko, according to the NSC call.

The individuals returning to Russia, include: Vadim Krasikov (from Germany), Artem Viktorovich Dultsev (from Slovenia), Anna Valerevna Dultseva (from Slovenia), Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin (from Norway), Pavel Alekseyevich Rubtsov (from Poland), Roman Seleznev (from the U.S.), Vladislav Klyushin (from the U.S.), and Vadim Konoshchenock (from the U.S.).

Wall Street Journal's top editor: 'A great day for press freedom'

Wall Street Journal editor-in-chief Emma Tucker celebrated the release of Evan Gershkovich with a post on X.

In a letter on The Wall Street Journal's website, Tucker expressed her joy and relief for Gershkovich's release as well as the freeing of fellow detainees in Russia.

"That it was done in a trade for Russian operatives guilty of serious crimes was predictable as the only solution given President Putin’s cynicism," Tucker wrote. "We are grateful to President Biden and his administration for working with persistence and determination to bring Evan home rather than see him shipped off to a Russian work camp for a crime he didn’t commit."

Tucker also thanked Gershkovich's family, his colleagues and supporters who have called for his release over the past 16 months. She ended: "My greatest thanks, though, must go to Evan himself."

Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan released in exchange

Three U.S. citizens — including journalist  Evan Gershkovich  and Marine veteran  Paul Whelan  — wrongly imprisoned in Russia were released and on their way home today, part of a major multinational prisoner exchange the likes of which has not been seen since the Cold War. 

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty journalist  Alsu Kurmasheva , a Russian American, and  Vladimir Kara-Murza  Jr., a dual Russian British national and U.S. permanent resident who was sentenced on treason charges to 25 years in April 2023, were also released.

Turkish government says the exchange is expected to take place in Ankara

The Turkish government said today that the prisoner exchange is expected to take place in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.

Who are the high-profile U.S. prisoners in Russia?

As a prisoner swap is underway between the United States and Russia, here is a reminder of some of the high-profile names that could potentially be included. NBC News is not yet able to confirm who exactly is involved in the prisoner swap. 

The highest-profile U.S. prisoners in Russia right now are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. 

Gershkovich, 32, detained in March 2023, was convicted of espionage by a Russian court this year and sentenced to 16 years in prison in July. He has been in prison for some 70 weeks now, Allie Raffa, an NBC News White House correspondent, said Thursday morning on MSNBC.  

Whelan, 54, who has been detained since visiting Russia for a friend’s wedding in 2018, was also convicted of espionage and has been serving a 16-year sentence in a penal colony. 

He was notably not a part of the high-profile December 2022 prisoner exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner for Russian arms dealer Victor Bout. 

Prisoner swap underway between the U.S., Russia and other countries, senior official says

A prisoner swap was underway between the United States,  Russia , and other countries on Thursday, according to a  senior Biden administration  official.

The trade is a rare example of cooperation amid heightened political tensions between the U.S. and Russia, including from sanctions imposed on Russia and Russian officials over the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Relations between the two countries had been strained before the invasion, following Russian interference in the 2016 election and its annexation of Crimea.