German media: Russian national convicted in Germany for assassinating Chechen commander moved out of Berlin prison. It is possible he will be swapped

Russian citizen Vadim Krasikov who is serving a lifetime prison sentence in Germany for assassinating Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Chechen commander who fled to Germany, has been transferred out of a Berlin prison, Spiegel TV and Die Welt report, citing their sources.

Die Welt writes that Krasikov has been sent to another region of the country due to “abstract risks”. At the same time, it is unclear which prison or a different facility he is in now.

Spiegel TV reveals that the man has been sent to a “special custody facility” for those “awaiting deportation” in Eisenhüttenstadt.

The transfer possibly indicates that Krasikov can be swapped for foreigners serving time in Russian prisons, BILD in Russian reports. According to CNN, Russia earlier suggested Krasikov as the second person to be swapped. CNN says that this proposal was made to drag the deal out.

Vadim Krasikov is a retired FSB colonel who is now serving a lifetime sentence in prison in Germany. He was convicted of murdering Chechen commander Zelimkhan Khangoshvili who took part in the Russian-Georgian war. In August 2023, a man on a bicycle shot him dead in a Berlin park. Germany viewed it as a contract murder and slammed it as an act of state terrorism.

Earlier today, US basketball player Brittney Griner, who was sentenced to 9 years behind bars in a case-smuggling case in August, was transferred to a Russian prison.

Reporters earlier revealed that the White House communicated a proposal to the Kremlin to swap Griner and Paul Whelan (found guilty of espionage against Russia) for Russian national Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer serving time in a US prison.