Russia Releases U.S. Navy Veteran Taylor Dudley

U.S. Navy Taylor Dudley, a veteran, has been released Russian According to a family spokesperson, detention occurred after almost a year in custody.

Dudley, 35, was released on Thursday at the Russia-Poland Bagrationovsk-Bezledy border crossing to a group that included former New Mexico Gov. Bill RichardsonHis team and a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, are all advocates for political prisoners’ return.

FOUR YEARS AFTER PAUL WHELAN WAS IMPRISONED IN RUSSIA, BROTHER SHARES THEIR VIEWS

After crossing the Russian frontier from Russia, he was taken into custody in April 2013. PolandHe was from the city he had been to attend a music festival. Dudley was backpacking through Europe in search of inspiration for a book he was writing when he was arrested.

“Earlier today, Russian authorities released American Citizen Taylor Dudley, a 35-year-old Navy veteran, across the Polish border to Gov. Bill Richardson and his team along with a representative of the U.S. Embassy, Warsaw, released Taylor Dudley, an American citizen, earlier today. This release was done diligently and quietly by the Richardson Center for over 6 months, with significant assistance from both the Steve Menzies Global Foundation and the James Foley Foundation,” Jonathan Franks, a family spokesperson, said in a statement.

Richardson Center was named for the former governor. In a statement, they stated that their team had visited Moscow several times in order to negotiate for his release. They had been working for his release for six long months.

In a statement, the governor reiterated his concern and commitment to this cause. Paul WhelanFormer U.S. Marine was wrongfully detained in Russia for four years. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years imprisonment for espionage, a charge he and his government have repeatedly claimed are false.

“Taylor’s safe return would not have been possible without the help of Ara Abramyan and Vitaly Pruss, who turned every stone in this joint effort; and the help of Steve Menzies, who offered tremendous support to this effort,” Richardson stated. “It is significant that despite the current environment between our two countries, the Russian authorities did the right thing by releasing Taylor today. And as we celebrate Taylor’s safe return, we remain very concerned for Paul Whelan and committed to continue to work on his safe return, as we have been for the last four years, as well as other Americans.”

State Department Ned Price, spokesperson for the U.S. said Jan. 3 that they had been involved in “a host of activities.”Direct conversations“With the Kremlin regarding Whelan’s freedom following the swap in December that saw the U.S. give up Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer, in exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner.

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A spokesperson for the State Department told the Washington Examiner They were “aware of” Reports about Dudley’s return and this, “The U.S. Department of State and our embassies and consulates abroad have no greater priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas.”