Russia prisoner swap includes Tromsø university illegal Mikushin

By Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer August 2, 2024
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This photo was taken when Mikhail Mikushin lived in Cananda under the adopted name José Assis Giammaria. At the University of Calgary the man spent years studying Arctic security and geopolitics. In 2021, he moved on to Norway’s Arctic University in Tromsø. Photo from Twitter

A major prisoner exchange between the West and Russia is underway and includes Mikhail Mikushin, the GRU affiliated charged with espionage in Norway.

He came to UiT- Arctic University of Norway in 2021 under the name José Assis Giammaria and presented himself as a Brazilian citizen interested in the university’s “hybrid threats” study program.

In October, 2022, the police arrested him. The man was first charged on suspicion of entering Norway under false pretence. Later it became known that he actually was a senior Russian military intelligence officer with the GRU.

His real name is Mikhail Valerievich Mikushin.

On Thursday, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre confirms that Mikushin is part of the multi-national western exchange of prisoners with Russia.

“Norway has contributed to the fact that a significant number of Russian and foreign human rights activists and journalists, who have been imprisoned in Russia for a long time, are now allowed to travel out and in freedom,” Store says in a statement.

Media outlet The Insider was first to report that Mikushin was one of eight Russians citizens arrested in the West to be exchanged in the ongoing prisoner swap on Thursday.

Mikushin has been in custody in Norway for nearly two years.

 

UiT The Arctic University of Norway opened its doors for the GRU officer that came to Norway under fake name. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

 

Well-known Russian political prisoners and U.S. citizens take part in the exchang. Among them are Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Alsu Kurmasheva.

Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Andrei Pivovarov and Oleg Orlov are four political prisoners said to be free as part of the exchange. The Insider has published the full list of names.

No official information is published, neither in Russia, nor in the West.

Foreign Minister under Boris Yeltsin’s first post-Soviet Government, Andrei Kozyrev, writes on X (formerly known as twitter) that he is happy for the release, but warns against new arrests.

 

At the time of publishing this article it was still unclear where the prisoner exchange will take place, but German media says a U.S. Transport plane went to to Ankara on Thursday at about the same time as an official Russian plane flew to the Turkish capital from Moscow.

Located in Kirkenes, Norway, just a few kilometres from the borders to Russia and Finland, the Barents Observer is dedicated to cross-border journalism in Scandinavia, Russia and the wider Arctic.

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