Families reunited as Americans who were detained in Russia arrive home

Rarely has an airport seen such joy after very long delays. But Thursday night was no ordinary night at Joint Base Andrews near Washington where three Americans held by Russia returned home to a presidential welcome. Nick Schifrin reports.

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Geoff Bennett: Rarely has an airport seen such joy after very long delays, but last night was no ordinary night at Joint Base Andrews just east of Washington, D.C.

Three Americans held by Russia returned home to a presidential welcome.

Nick Schifrin is here with that — Nick.

Nick Schifrin: Geoff, perhaps even more important than the hugs and handshakes from the president and the vice president, the joy and the relief of the families of Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Paul Whelan, as they greeted their loved ones after months, even years apart.

First, he had to shake the commander in chief’s hand, but then Evan Gershkovich got to hug his mom and lift her as she had raised him up during his detention.

Ella Milman wrote Evan every week and worked tirelessly to secure his safety for 491 days.

Question: What about the show of support?

Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal: It’s — it’s…

(Cheering)

(Applause)

Evan Gershkovich: Yes, it’s overwhelming.

Nick Schifrin: Paul Whelan’s reunion with his sister, Elizabeth, took five-and-a-half years. She’d previously criticized President Biden for leaving her brother behind in previous trades. Overnight, the three shared a smile.

And Alsu Kurmasheva, after a brief vice presidential embrace, held her daughters and husband tight. They’d been separated for nearly a year while she was detained and then convicted of spreading false information. Three American families are whole again.

Girl: We’re in the Oval Office.

Nick Schifrin: Just hours earlier, Kurmasheva’s daughters and all the family members got on the president’s phone.

Paul Whelan, Freed Prisoner: Paul Whelan here.

Joe Biden, President of the United States: I got somebody who’s lived in the Oval Office.

(Laughter)

Joe Biden: She’s back. She knows the Oval Office better than I do. Go ahead. Say hello, sis.

Woman: Paul, it’s incredible.

Nick Schifrin: There was one more call to make, to Vladimir Kara-Murza, sentenced to 25 years for treason for his decades of journalism and pro-democracy activism that included two failed poisoning attempts.

His work was continued by his wife, Evgenia…

Evgenia Kara-Murza, Wife of Vladimir Kara-Murza: Hello, hello.

Nick Schifrin: … whom he thought he would never see again.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, Russian Opposition Politician: No word is strong enough for this. I was sure I’m going to die in prison. There’s — I don’t believe what’s happening. I still think a — I still think I’m sleeping in my prison cell in Omsk, instead of hearing your voice.

Nick Schifrin: Kara-Murza has a green card, but traveled to Germany with the other released Russian dissidents, who vowed to continue their work.

Vladimir Kara-Murza (through interpreter): I not only believe and not only think, I know for sure that I will definitely return to Russia, and that the day will definitely come when Russia will become a free, normal, civilized European country.

Nick Schifrin: Ilya Yashin was also released from Russian detention as part of the swap after his conviction for spreading false information for criticizing the war in Ukraine. He said he demanded not to be freed in a prison swap that would only empower Putin.

Ilya Yashin, Russian Opposition Politician (through interpreter): In exchange for the release of one murderer, 16 innocent people who committed no crimes were released. This is a difficult dilemma, including because it certainly motivates Putin to take new hostages.

Nick Schifrin: As for the Americans, at 2:00 a.m., they arrived at a rehabilitation facility in San Antonio. And after unveiling the official U.S. hostages And wrongful detainees flag, Paul Whelan said he felt relief.

Paul Whelan: It was a good homecoming here. So, looking forward to seeing my family down here and just recuperating from five years, seven months, and five days of just absolute nonsense by the Russian government.