Tears of joy filled the Oval Office as families of wrongfully detained prisoners, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, spoke to their loved ones for the first time since their release. The emotional moment was captured in a White House video posted by President Joe Biden on social media. “This is momma. Do you hear me? It’s your mom,” Gershkovich’s mother said during the virtual reunion, highlighting the relief and joy felt by the families.
President Biden expressed his gratitude and relief to the freed detainees and their families gathered around the presidential Resolute Desk. “You’ve been wrongfully detained for a long time, and we are glad you are home,” Biden said. The release of Gershkovich, ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, and others was part of a multi-country exchange involving 24 prisoners, including Russian hitman Vadim Kasikov, who was released by Germany.
The complex prisoner swap, negotiated in secrecy for over a year, culminated in an emotional announcement from Biden to the family members that the detainees were en route to the United States. Russian opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, one of the released detainees, poignantly shared his disbelief and relief with his family, stating, “No word is strong enough for this. I was sure I was going to die in prison.”
Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright
