August 1, 2024 at 08:57PM
As part of a multinational prisoner exchange deal announced on Thursday, the US returned two Russian cybercriminals to Russia, and in return, Russia released some of its detainees, including at least one US journalist. The cybercriminals included Roman Seleznev, sentenced for compromising point-of-sale systems, and Vladislav Klyushin, convicted of stealing corporations’ confidential financial information.
From the meeting notes, it is clear that a multinational prisoner exchange deal was announced, involving the return of Russian cybercriminals to their homeland. In exchange, Russia released some of its detainees, including at least one US journalist. Notably, Roman Seleznev, known as Track2, and Vladislav Klyushin were two Russian cybercriminals among those released. Seleznev was convicted for compromising point-of-sale systems and involvement in an identity-theft and bank-fraud ring, while Klyushin was found guilty for stealing confidential financial information and participating in an insider-trading scheme. The White House announced the prisoner exchange, and US President Joe Biden described it as a “feat of democracy.” The exchange involved the release of a total of 16 people from Russia, including seven Russian political prisoners and five Germans. In addition to the Russian cybercriminals, the exchange also involved the release of three Americans and one permanent resident who were held in Russia. President Biden emphasized that some of the released individuals had been unjustly held for years and that their suffering and uncertainty have now come to an end.