Kara-Murza is one of those who were part of the historic prisoner exchange between the USA, other Western countries, and Russia.
Until Thursday, when the prisoner exchange was realized, he was convinced that he would die in a Russian prison. He was serving a 25-year prison sentence for treason after condemning the Russian invasion war against Ukraine.
I didn't think I would ever see my wife again. I didn't think I would see my family, and this feels completely surreal, it feels like a movie, he says.
Kara-Murza also tells journalists in Germany, where he is now, that many Russians are "against Putin's war in Ukraine".
Kara-Murza is both a Russian and British citizen.
Another of the released prisoners, the liberal Russian opposition politician Ilja Jasjin, says that the prisoner exchange poses a difficult dilemma.
This encourages Putin to take more hostages, says Jasjin, who served an eight-and-a-half-year prison sentence for speaking critically of the war in Ukraine.
Ten Russians – including two children – were exchanged for 16 Westerners and Russian political prisoners. The prisoner exchange is welcomed in a statement by UN experts, who, however, emphasize that nearly 1,400 political prisoners are still sitting in Russian prisons. These must be released, demand the UN experts.
