MOSCOW, August 1. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed the orders pardoning convicted Russian and foreign nationals exchanged in a prisoner swap.
"Vladimir Putin signed executive orders pardoning Paul Nicholas Whelan, Kevin Lik, Evan Gershkovich, Demuri Voronin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Alsu Kurmasheva, Lilia Chanysheva, Vadim Ostanin, Ksenia Fadeyeva, Alexandra Skochilenko, Ilya Yashin, Andrei Pivovarov, and Oleg Orlov," the Kremlin website said.
The decision to sign the orders was made with the aim of returning Russian citizens detained and imprisoned in foreign countries.