U.S. Trades Cybercriminals to Russia in Prisoner Swap

An international prisoner swap between Russia and Western countries resulted in the release of 24 prisoners, including notable cybercriminals and political detainees. Among those repatriated to Russia were Roman Seleznev, convicted of extensive payment card data theft, and Vladislav Klyushin, involved in a $93 million insider trading scam. In exchange, Russia freed 16 prisoners, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, both previously accused of espionage. The swap also saw the release of other Americans, several German nationals, and four individuals accused of being Russian spies by Slovenia, Norway, and Poland.

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