Gershkovich släpps bara veckor efter domen

Evan Gershkovich (born October 26, 1991) is an American journalist and reporter at The Wall Street Journal covering Russia. He was detained by Russia's Federal Security Service on charges of espionage in March 2023, marking the first time a journalist working for an American outlet had been arrested on charges of spying in Russia since the Cold War. The White House and media advocacy groups have condemned the arrest. On July 19, 2024, Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted in an espionage trial. Former US officials have speculated that the motivation behind the order for Gershkovich's arrest was an anticipated prisoner exchange for one or more high-profile Russians imprisoned in other countries. Gershkovich, who remained in the country following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine after his arrest in 2023.

Paul Nicholas Whelan (born March 5, 1970) is a Canadian-born former United States Marine with U.S., British, Irish, and Canadian citizenship. He was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018, and accused of spying. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence.