Freed activist feared dying in Russian prison

Vladimir Kara-Murza, Andrei Pivovarov and Ilya Yashin hold a press conference in Bonn, Germany, after being freed in a multi-country prisoner swap on Aug 2, 2024. [Reuters]

American permanent resident Vladimir Kara-Murza told reporters on Friday he had expected to die in a Russian prison.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, who had been serving a 25-year prison sentence following a 2022 arrest, was freed Thursday in a historic prisoner swap negotiated by the U.S. and its allies with Russia.