Dissidents recently released from Russian prisons as part of a prisoner swap between Russia and the West have discussed the possibility of additional exchanges, according to veteran rights activist Oleg Orlov. Orlov spoke at a press conference in Berlin, his first since being released from a Russian penal colony as part of the largest such swap since the Cold War. The 71-year-old revealed that he and other freed Russians have considered a subsequent exchange to secure the release of more colleagues from Moscow. He did not specify whether this idea had been shared with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz or anyone else.
"We discussed the details among those who were exchanged, on the plane, during our flight from Ankara to Germany," Orlov recounted. "However, I cannot provide more concrete information at this time because any discussions about an exchange require long-term confidentiality. I will confirm that there are concrete ideas, but I will not elaborate further."
Under the recent deal, Russia retrieved eight prisoners held in the West, including an FSB security service member convicted of murder in Germany, and 16 individuals were released from Russian and Belarusian jails. This group included Orlov, dissidents Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin, and US citizens Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva. Rights campaigners estimate that hundreds of political prisoners remain in Russia, including those in poor health and associates of Alexei Navalny.
Orlov expressed that if given a choice, he would not have left Russia, leaving behind others like Gorinov. He was serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for discrediting Russia's armed forces by protesting against the war in Ukraine and accusing President Vladimir Putin of leading a descent into fascism. Like Yashin and Kara-Murza, Orlov had refused to sign a letter seeking a pardon from Putin, which he found personally unacceptable. Despite his exile, Orlov intends to continue working for the rights group Memorial and hopes to return to Russia at the first opportunity.
