Fotos and tori of di prisoners dem free for di biggest Russia-West swap since di Cold War

Di US don confam say na 24 pipo dey involved for di prisoner exchange between Russia and some oda western kontris wey include di US and Germany.

Tok tok bin dey for days say Russia and Western kontris go do major swap. Di rumour bin loud afta dem move plenti prisoners from di prison for Russia to unknown locations.

On Thursday afternoon GMT, one Russia plane land for Ankara, not long afta Turkey National Intelligence Agency (MIT) say na dem go coordinate di exchange.

"Our organisation don undertake one major mediation role for dis exchange operation, wey be di most comprehensive of di recent period," di intelligence agency say.

Who be di prisoners wey involve for di swap?

Earlier, di speculation bin be say na Russia, United States, Germany plus three oda western kontris go release plus swap 24 prisoners on Thursday under one prisoner exchange deal.

Evan Gershkovich

Di American tori pesin wey bin dey work for di Wall Street Journal, Evan Gershkovich bin dey sentenced to 16 years on top espionage charges.

Prosecutors bin accuse am say e dey work for di CIA and e mark di first conviction of American tori pesin for Russia for espionage since di end of di cold war.

Paul Whelan

US Marine veteran Paul Whelan, gbab 16 year jail sentence for 2020. E bin dey arrested for 2018 and bin dey prison for di Mordovia region.

Whelan na ex-US Marine wey comot di military in 2008 becos of bad conduct and na citizen of four kontris, di US, Canada, di UK and Ireland.

Alsu Kurmasheva

Russian-American radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, bin dey convicted to six and half years in prison on top charge say she dey spread fake news about di Russian military.

She bin dey work as editor of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, wey US goment dey fund.

Vladimir Kara-Murza

Vladimir Kara-Murza na one of di ogbonge and loud Russia opponents of di Putin regime and don also speak out against di war in Ukraine.

Dem arrest and sentence di dual British-Russian citizen to 25 years in prison say im dey spread fake news about di Russian army and say e bin dey linked to wetin dem call "undesirable organisation."

Ilya Yashin

Ilya Yashin na one of di ogbonge opposition for Russia, dem jail am for 2022 say e bin dey spread fake news about di kontri military.

E bin don accuse President Vladimir Putin say e dey "power mad" for letters wey im write for prison.

Oleg Orlov

Oleg Orlov na Russian human rights activist wey dem lock up for February say im call Russia fascist state, and criticize di war for Ukraine.

Di 71-year-old bin collect two-and-a half year term say im "repeatedly discredit" di Russian armed forces.

Lilia Chanysheva

Lilia Chanysheva bin gbab nine and half years for prison earlier dis year afta she bin dey accused of extremism by authorities.

At first, dem bin sentence am to seven years in prison for 2023 but prosecutors say e bin dey too light.

Ksenia Fadeyeva

Ksenia Fadeyeva bin dey sentenced to nine years for prison on top accuse say she organise extremist group.

She bin dey work as local organiser for Alexei Navalny anti corruption foundation although her lawyers say she comot di group bifor dem call am extremist group for 2021.

Sasha Skochilenko

Sasha Skochilenko get seven years say she replace supermarket price labels wit anti war messages for November as protest.

Kevin Lik

German-Russian citizen Kevin Lik bin dey convicted of treason as teenager wen dem sentence am to four years in prison last December.

Di youngest pesin wey dem don find guilty of di crime bin collect di conviction say im dey email pictures to "representatives of a foreign state" bifor and afta di invasion of Ukraine.

Rico Krieger

German mercenary Rico Krieger, wey bin dey prison for Belarus bin dey accused of planting bombs and bin dey sentenced to death.

E bin dey pardoned by di kontri leader Alexander Lukashenko earlier dis week.

Andrei Pivovarov

Russian opposition activist Andrei Pivovarov bin dey work as di oga of Open Russia foundation.

Na di oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky start am, di pesin bin spend ten years for prison dey call out Putin.

Pivovarov bin dey arrested wen e dey try comot di kontri.

Dieter Voronin

Russian-German citizen Dieter Voronin bin dey sentenced to 13 years in prison for treason.

Dis na afta Moscow accuse am say e collect classified military information from anoda tori pesin.

Patrick Schoebel

Di 38-year-old German bin dey accused of drug trafficking afta dem catch am wit a pack of cannabis gummy bears earlier dis year.

E say e dey take am to help am sleep for long flight and e no know say dem ban am for Russia.

Herman Moyzhes

Russian-German immigration lawyer and cycling campaigner Mozhyes, dey face treason charges afta dem arrest am for May.

Tori be say di reason fit dey becos of im work to help Russian citizens get European papers or maybe na becos of im nationality, according to human rights activists.

Vadim Ostanin

Vadim Ostanin na di oga of Alexei Navalny regional branch and gbab nine years for prison for 2023.

Dem charge am say e dey extremist organisation like oda Navalny reps.

Roman Seleznev

Roman Seleznev bin dey sentenced to 27 years in prison for 2017 sake of hacking scheme wey cause $169m for damages.

US officials say im tiff credit card data from restaurants and sell am for dark market.

Vadim Konoshchenok

Di US charge Vadim Konoshchenok wit conspiracy for procurement and money-laundering for di Russia goment for 2022.

Dat time, US Department of Justice say e illegally buy and export very sensitive electronic components, some wey fit dey used for military reasons.

Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva

Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva na husband and wife wey dem arrest for espionage.

Dem sentence dem to 19 months for prison and dia pikin return Russia wit dem.

Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin

University lecturer Mikhail Valeryevich Mikushin bin dey charged say e bin dey gada intelligence for Russia for inside Norway for 2022.

Norwegian officials say e bin dey pretend to be Brazil academc for di University of Tromso since 2021.

Vladislav Klyushin

Vladislav Klyushin bin dey arrested for Switzerland for 2021, wen US authorities bin ask.

Dem jail am to nine years in prison for 2023 say im bin do insider trading.

Pablo González (Pavel Rubtsov)

Di Spanish-Russian tori pesin bin dey arrested for Poland for February 2022 on accuse of espionage and say im get links to di Russian military intelligence.

Reporters witout Borders call for im release for February dis year say di Polish authorities neva charge am till now.

How kontris wit bad relationship dey do deal?

According to Gordon Corera, BBC Security correspondent, di exchange wey happun between Russian and some western kontris fit surprise many pipo unto say di relationship between dem don scata sake of war for Ukraine.

But di reality be say, e dey happun all di time. Wen Cold War dey reign, Washington and Moscow bin dey swap spies. Most times na for Berlin e dey happun.

Inside di last two years wey Ukraine and Russia don dey fight hot war, dem also dey organise large scale prisoner exchange. Na so too wit Israel and Hamas at one point.

Di reason dey simple. Both sides get sometin – or someone – wey di oda side want, and so dem go do deal.

But e no mean say di deal dey easy o, and wen tension dey di relationship, e dey hard to do negotiation no be small, as no side wan make pipo dey see dem like say dem give di oda sometin wey dem fit claim say na "win".

But intelligence agencies dey used to organising dat kain quiet back channels wey dey necessary for dis kain delicate negotiations outside of di eye of di public.