WEBVTT

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GEOFF BENNETT: Rarely has an
airport#
seen such joy after very long
delays,##

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but last night was no ordinary
night at Joint#
Base Andrews just east of
Washington, D.C.

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Three Americans held by Russia
returned#
home to a presidential welcome.

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Nick Schifrin is here with that
-- Nick.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Geoff, perhaps
even more#
important than the hugs and
handshakes from##

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the president and the vice
president, the joy and#
the relief of the families of
Evan Gershkovich,##

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Alsu Kurmasheva, and Paul
Whelan, as they greeted#
their loved ones after months,
even years apart.

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First, he had to shake the
commander in#
chief's hand, but then Evan
Gershkovich##

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got to hug his mom and lift her
as she#
had raised him up during his
detention.

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Ella Milman wrote Evan every
week and worked#
tirelessly to secure his safety
for 491 days.

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QUESTION: What about the show of
support?

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EVAN GERSHKOVICH, The Wall#
Street Journal: It's -- it's...

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(CHEERING)
(APPLAUSE)

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EVAN GERSHKOVICH: Yes, it's
overwhelming.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Paul Whelan's#
reunion with his sister,
Elizabeth,##

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took five-and-a-half years.
She'd previously#
criticized President Biden for
leaving her##

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brother behind in previous
trades.#
Overnight, the three shared a
smile.

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And Alsu Kurmasheva, after a
brief vice#
presidential embrace, held her
daughters##

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and husband tight. They'd been
separated for#
nearly a year while she was
detained and then##

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convicted of spreading false
information.#
Three American families are
whole again.

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GIRL: We're in the Oval Office.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Just hours
earlier,##

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Kurmasheva's daughters and all
the family#
member..

01:38.064 --> 01:39.065 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80%
PAUL WHELAN, Freed Prisoner:
Paul Whelan here.

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JOE BIDEN, President of the
United States: I..

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(LAUGHTER)

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JOE BIDEN: She's back. She knows
the Oval Office#
..

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WOMAN: Paul, it's incredible.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: There was one
more call to make,##

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to Vladimir Kara-Murza,
sentenced to#
25 years for treason f..

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of journalism and pro-democracy
activism#
that included two failed
poisoning attempts.

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His work was continued by his
wife, Evgenia...

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EVGENIA KARA-MURZA, Wife of#
Vladimir Kara-Murza: Hello,
hello.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: ... whom he#
thou..

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VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA, Russian
Opposition#
Politician: No word is strong
enough for this.##

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I was sure I'm going to die in
prison. There's --#
I don't believe what's
..

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a -- I still think I'm sleeping
in my prison#
cell in Omsk, instead of hearing
your voice.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Kara-Murza has a
green#
card, but traveled to Germany
with the##

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other released Russian
dissidents,#
who vowed to continue their
work.

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VLADIMIR KARA-MURZA (through
translator):#
I not only believe and not only
think,##

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I know for sure that I will
definitely#
return to Russia, and that the
day will##

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definitely come when Russia will
become a#
free, normal, civilized European
country.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: Ilya Yashin was
also released#
from Russian detention as part
of the swap##

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after his conviction for
spreading false#
information for criticizing the
war in##

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Ukraine. He said he demanded not
to be freed#
in a prison swap that would only
empower Putin.

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ILYA YASHIN, Russian Opposition
Politician#
(through translator): In
exchange for the##

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release of one murderer, 16
innocent peopl..

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is a difficult dilemma,
including because it#
certainly motivates Putin to
take new hostages.

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NICK SCHIFRIN: As for the
Americans, at 2:00 a.m.,##

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they arrived at a rehabilitation
facility in#
San Antonio. And after unveiling
the official##

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U.S. hostages And wrongful
detainees#
flag, Paul Whelan said he felt
relief.

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PAUL WHELAN: It was a good
homecoming here. So,##

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looking forward to seeing my
family down#
here and just recuperating from
five years,##

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seven months, and five days of
just#
absolute nonsense by the Russian
government.