It has been announced that former US Navy soldier Taylor Dudley, who was arrested while crossing from Poland to Kaliningrad, Russia in April 2022, has been released.
Dudley, whose arrest was not announced by the US administration before and who was arrested while crossing from Poland to Kaliningrad in April, was released after the negotiations of the Richardson Diplomatic Center with Russia.
Former New Mexico Governor, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations and former US Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson’s Vice President of the Richardson Diplomacy Center, Mickey Bergman, used the following statements in a written statement to AA correspondent:
“Governor Bill Richardson and the Richardson Center are excited to announce that ex-Marine Taylor Dudley was released from Russia at the Russia-Poland Bagrationovsk-Bezledy border crossing on January 12, 2023, on his way home with the Richardson Center team and his mother Shelley. “
NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUED FOR 9 MONTHS
Noting that Dudley has been detained in Kaliningrad, Russia since April last year, Bergman stated that they have been negotiating with Russia for about 9 months.
Stating that the Russian authorities did the right thing by releasing Dudley despite the current tension, Bergman said: “We are very worried about Paul Whelan and we are determined to continue working towards his safe return, as have other (released) Americans over the past four years.” made his statement.
WHAT HAPPENED?
Whelan, a former US Marine and holding US, UK, Irish and Canadian citizenship, was arrested on 28 December 2018 for spying in Russia.
Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison in the court he was brought to on June 15, 2020.
Dudley, 35, from the state of Michigan, was detained by the Russian border patrol police after crossing from Poland to the Kaliningrad region between Lithuania and Poland in April 2022.
It is not yet known why Dudley, who was in Poland to attend a music festival, crossed the border.
While it was stated that the US government thought that Dudley’s arrest was not based on “wrong” or “arbitrary and discriminatory” motives, it was not reported in the press that the former soldier was detained. (AA)