DMCA.com Protection Status Russian Held for Money Laundering in US Offers Himself in Swap for WSJ Reporter Gershkovich – News Market

Russian Held for Money Laundering in US Offers Himself in Swap for WSJ Reporter Gershkovich

Russian Held for Money Laundering in US Offers Himself in Swap for WSJ Reporter Gershkovich


The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was detained in March while on a reporting trip and charged with espionage in Moscow, Russia (Image: Reuters)

Alexander Vinnik, a co-founder of a bitcoin exchange, wants to be part of a potential prisoner exchange involving a detained Wall Street Journal reporter.

Alexander Vinnik, co-founder of a popular bitcoin exchange, through his lawyer, David Rizk, assistant federal public defender in the Northern District of California, said he wants to be included in a possible prisoner exchange between US and Russia to free detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Vinnik should be permitted to…answer the accusations against him and advocate publicly for his inclusion in a prisoner swap,” Rizk said, according to the report by the Wall Street Journal, while adding that he was made aware of the requirement of mounting a public campaign to demand a prisoner swap.

Rizk told the Wall Street Journal that he made his client’s intentions in federal court filings in California this week. He is also trying to modify a protective order to maximise his chances.

In 2017, Vinnik was arrested in Greece based on a US warrant and later extradited to the US.

He is facing charges of running a money-laundering operation through BTC-e, which he co-founded.

The exchange was allegedly used by Russian criminals for various illegal activities. Vinnik maintains his innocence and denies having decision-making authority over the exchange.

Vinnik’s case sheds light on the dynamics of international prisoner swaps, which have gained attention as the US faces an increase in American citizens being detained by hostile countries on questionable grounds.

In Russia, individuals like Gershkovich and corporate-security executive and former US Marine who has been held since late 2018, Paul Whelan, are held on espionage charges that are vehemently denied by the US government.

These agreements depend on convincing negotiators that a prisoner is both acceptable for release by one country and desired by the other country.

Supporters of certain prisoners also hope that public pressure and campaigns can sway deal makers to prioritise their release.

The Wall Street Journal said in its report that Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer, swapped in exchange for WNBA basketball player Brittney Griner, also mounted a similar campaign.

Bout, however, spent the maximum part of his prison sentence in the US.

Vinnik’s lawyer explained that US prosecutors have openly discussed the accusations against Vinnik, but due to the terms of the protective order, he is not allowed to share specific details about the case.

This makes it hard for Vinnik to defend himself publicly or privately.

Bout also won his freedom by forcing a prisoner swap using public pressure.

The US earlier said it is interested in including Russian prisoners lodged in jails of ally or friendly countries in order to free Whelan and Gershkovich. However, the Wall Street Journal said in its report that such an agreement could be tough to execute.

“There are about 60 Russians in prison in the United States. In most cases, the charges are dubious,” Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, said in the UN, in April.

Like him, the US also claims the Russian justice system is rigged and arrests of American citizens are being done on frivolous charges.



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