Canadian-born Paul Whelan and an honorary Canadian citizen were set free Thursday as the United States and Russia completed their largest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history.

含羞草研究社淭he deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy,含羞草研究社� President Joe Biden said in a news conference after he spoke with some freed prisoners over the phone.

Whelan, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were among 16 people freed from Russian detention through the multinational deal.

Russian opposition leader and activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was also freed as part of the deal Thursday.

Kara-Murza was detained in Russia in 2022 after surviving two poisoning attempts. He was granted honorary Canadian citizenship in June, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau lauded his courage and dedication to democracy.

含羞草研究社淪ome of these women and men have been unjustly held for years. All have endured unimaginable suffering and uncertainty,含羞草研究社� Biden said.

含羞草研究社淭oday, their agony is over.含羞草研究社�

Whelan was born in Canada to British parents. The family later moved to Michigan. The former U.S. marine and corporate security executive was arrested in 2018 in Moscow, where he was attending a friend含羞草研究社檚 wedding.

Whelan was convicted of espionage charges, which he and the U.S. have said were false, and was serving a 16-year prison sentence.

含羞草研究社淧aul was held hostage for 2,043 days,含羞草研究社� his family said in a statement.

含羞草研究社淗is case was that of an American in peril, held by the Russian Federation as part of their blighted initiative to use humans as pawns to extract concessions.含羞草研究社�

Global Affairs Canada did not provide comment.

Gershkovich was arrested while on a reporting trip in 2023 when Russian authorities claimed, without offering any evidence, that he was gathering secret information for the U.S.

Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years after a secretive and speedy trial last month. Kurmasheva was also convicted following a two day secret trial the same week as Gershkovich, and many believed at the time it was a sign that a prisoner swap may be in the works.

Biden heralded the prisoner exchange, which took place in Turkey, as a victory, saying it shows the importance of diplomacy.

含羞草研究社淭his is a powerful example of why it含羞草研究社檚 vital to have friends in this world whom you can trust and depend upon,含羞草研究社� Biden said.

含羞草研究社淥ur alliances make Americans safer.含羞草研究社�

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American allies, in particular Germany, Poland, Norway, and Slovenia, were critical in making the deal possible.

There have been multiple prisoner swaps negotiated between Russia and the U.S. during the Biden administration but Thursday含羞草研究社檚 involved significant concessions from other countries.

In response to questions, Biden noted that there were difficult conversations with counterparts in Germany in order to make the deal happen.

Germany agreed to release Vadim Krasikov back to Russia. Krasikov was convicted in 2021 of killing a former Chechen rebel in a Berlin park two years earlier, apparently on the orders of Moscow含羞草研究社檚 security services.

Russia also received two alleged sleeper agents who were jailed in Slovenia. Norway returned an academic arrested on suspicions of being a Russian spy, and Poland also sent back a man it detained.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2024.

含羞草研究社� With files from The Associated Press

Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version stated Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was arrested in 2003.