Kremlin open to prisoner swap involving detained US reporter Evan Gershkovich

english.elpais.com

5 points·geox··4 comments

The willingness of the US to swap prisoners incentivizes the Russian government to jail American visitors on trumped-up charges.

If I was in charge of US policy, I'd make everyone who wants to board a plane to Russia watch a 10-minute testimonial from one of those prisoners saying how bogus the Russian police / court system is, how not-fun the Russian prison system is, and how it bothers their conscience that the US government had to buy their freedom by letting a hardened war criminal go free.

Then if they decide not to go, the airline has to refund their ticket.

At this point, no American citizens should be traveling to Russia or, frankly, doing business with them. Those who insist on going to Russia are taking foolish chances.

you should try being black in America, talking about how bogus and not fun a prison system is. America is the global leader in incarceration. prison demographics show a clearly racially biased legal system. Gonzalo Lira or Edward Snowden or Julian Assange or Michael Hastings would all be fine in Russia. This one middle rate spy badly masquerading as a journalist is as legit as bellingcat.

> Gonzalo Lira or Edward Snowden or Julian Assange or Michael Hastings would all be fine in Russia.

A Russian propagandist, A leaker of American secrets, A publisher of leaked secrets and a dead guy.

I can see how first three would be fine in Russia as long as they toed the line they literally serve Russias agenda in some way.

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