Media: Political prisoners who arrived in Germany were sent to hospital

The released Russian political prisoners who arrived in Germany after a large-scale exchange between Russia, Europe and the United States have been taken to a hospital and will be held there for some time, the Dozhd TV channel and the Meduza publication reported, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The Russians and German citizens who were brought to Cologne from Turkey on the evening of August 1 never came out to the people waiting outside the airport. According to Dozhd, the prisoners exchanged for those convicted in Europe and the US may stay in the hospital until Sunday. According to Meduza, this will be a quarantine for several days.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was present at the airport, made a short statement to journalists, wishing those who arrived “to improve their health and find prospects.”

Alexei Navalny's ally Maria Pevchikh, who was initially also waiting outside the airport, posted a photo in the early morning with politician Ilya Yashin and activist Sasha Skochilenko.

Yashin's mother, Tatyana, told the German publication BILD that she did not know about the exchange "until the last minute."

Ilya Yashin himself posted his first message on Telegram after his release this morning: "I'll tell you everything soon. But for now, just thank you to everyone who worried." The photo with the post shows him and former coordinator of Navalny's headquarters in Barnaul Vadim Ostanin in prison uniforms. Next to him are Maria Pevchikh, Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov from FBK.

Investigative journalist Hristo Grozev came to meet the political prisoners at the Cologne airport. "I couldn't help but come, because the work had been going on for over two years — trying to convince countries to carry out such a deal, to release as many oppositionists and activists as possible. Navalny was supposed to be here. We must remember: what is happening is thanks to him. And the number of those released has increased significantly due to his death," Grozev said on Dozhd.

Earlier, Leonid Volkov also said that politician Alexei Navalny was supposed to be released as part of the prisoner exchange.

Maria Pevchikh told Verstka that she and Grozev participated in compiling the exchange lists.

As a result of the exchange, Russian authorities released and expelled 16 people, 12 of whom were supposed to fly to Germany. Another four landed early in the morning at Andrews Air Force Base in the United States, near Washington.

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