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Slovenia’s Role in Historic East-West Prisoner Exchange
LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Officials in Slovenia lauded their involvement in a significant prisoner swap on Friday, which saw the country contribute by transferring two convicted Russian sleeper agents. This exchange was the culmination of extensive and discreet negotiations with U.S. authorities.
The recent swap marked the largest such operation in the post-Soviet era, with the United States and Russia concluding the deal that resulted in the release of journalist Evan Gershkovich and fellow American Paul Whelan. Additionally, dissidents such as Vladimir Kara-Murza were part of the broader arrangement that resulted in the release of around two dozen individuals.
Among those returned were a Russian couple who had been living under false identities as Argentine nationals in Slovenia since 2017. The husband, known as Ludwig Gisch, operated an IT startup, while his wife, under the name Maria Rosa Mayer Muños, ran an online art gallery. Their actual identities were revealed to be Artem Dultsev and Anna Dultseva.
Reports suggest that the couple used Ljubljana as a gateway for travel across NATO and EU territories, where they reportedly facilitated orders from Moscow and provided support to other Russian sleeper agents. They were apprehended in December 2022 on charges of espionage.
Prior to the exchange, the couple received a sentence of 19 months in prison each for spying, having pleaded guilty just a day before the swap in a courtroom in Ljubljana. According to Slovenia’s 24.ur news portal, the timing of their guilty pleas was strategically aligned with the prisoner exchange.
Initially, the legal proceedings against the couple were expected to extend into the autumn. Despite consistently denying the charges since their arrest, they shifted their position shortly before the exchange.
Sources from Slovenia’s STA state news agency reported that their children, who had been in foster care following their parents’ arrest in 2022, were on a CIA plane that transported them from Ljubljana to Ankara, Turkey.
Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar expressed appreciation for the collaborative efforts that led to the successful exchange. In a statement on X, she acknowledged the hard work of Slovenia’s intelligence agencies and their allies, stating, “I would like to pay respect and compliment everyone involved in this difficult action that saved lives.”
U.S. President Joe Biden also recognized the essential role played by allied nations in facilitating this significant diplomatic achievement. He expressed gratitude on X, noting, “I am grateful to our Allies who stood with us throughout tough, complex negotiations to achieve this outcome — including Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey.”
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