Russia and the United States conducted a major prisoner exchange
On August 1, the largest prisoner exchange in the history of relations between Moscow and Washington took place at Ankara airport: 24 people took part in it at once. The Russian side transfers 16 people to the American side (this group includes US citizens, dual citizens and Russians.) The Americans handed over 8 people to Russia (all of them are citizens of the Russian Federation).
Other countries participated in the deal, including Germany, which extradited Vadim Krasikov to Russia, as well as Belarus, which extradited German Rico Krieger to Germany. Among those released from Russia: Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Willan, as well as well-known Russian oppositionists Vladimir Kara-Murza and Ilya Yashin. According to some reports, the journalist of Radio Liberty Alsu Kurmasheva has also been released.
Politics
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The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OPHRD), a joint program of the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has called for the urgent release of activist Rufat Safarov from prison in Azerbaijan. It has launched a campaign in support of the Azerbaijani human rights defender. https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/arbitrary-detention-and-judicial-harassment-against-rufat-safarov
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This year, the laureate of the annual Nargiz Prize, awarded for efforts in the fight for democracy, was Akif Gurbanov, chairman of the board of the Resplatforma (Platform of the III Republic) movement, who is under arrest.
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The U.S. will prohibit the issuing of visas for nearly a dozen more individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, bringing the total number to over 100, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
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The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has expressed condolences to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following the tragic incident in the city of Magdeburg. "We are deeply shocked by the news of the deaths and injuries resulting from the tragic incident that took place at the Christmas market in Magdeburg," the message reads.
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