German Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said after the exchange of prisoners between Russia and Western countries that it recommends that German citizens not travel to Russia. The minister spoke in an interview with the German magazine "Stern", BTA reported.
"No one has been safe in Russia for a long time. "I strongly advise everyone, unless it is absolutely necessary, not to travel to a country where no one is safe," he told the magazine. There is no way to be sure that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin will not take more political prisoners, he added.
"Under the rule of Vladimir Putin, around 40 journalists have been killed. Countless more are in prison," said Buschmann, who is from the German Free Democratic Party. According to him, the exchange of prisoners did not increase the risk in the country.
"There was no security in this country even before the exchange," he declared.
Russia and its ally Belarus carried out a prisoner swap last week with Germany, the US and three other NATO countries. Russia released 15 people, four of whom had German passports. Among them was a German sentenced to death in Belarus, and in exchange eight prisoners were released, one of whom is Vadim Krasikov. This is the largest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War.
Bushman also said in the interview with "Stern" that until the last moment he had doubts whether the Russian side would honor the agreement.
"We were not sure even when the plane with the freed prisoners landed in Cologne/Bonn," the minister pointed out, explaining that it regularly happens that the Russian security service uses poison "to directly or indirectly destroy life and health of the people in the most insidious way".
After arriving in Germany, the released prisoners were examined by doctors.
"For me personally, it was a big concern whether Russia had poisoned them before take off. But according to what we know so far, thank God, this did not happen," the politician added.
According to Bushman, the exchange is not an unprecedented case.
He admitted that Germany's decision to release Vadim Krasikov, a murderer with a life sentence, was a very difficult compromise. The minister rejected criticism that in this way Germany would allow such situations in the future and that Berlin becomes vulnerable to blackmail by Russia.
"In this particular case, we believe that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This will not lead to extortion," Marko Bushman concluded.
According to the Ukrainian agency Ukrinform, Germany has "paid" the highest price, having freed Krasikov. Not everyone in the German government agreed with this decision, but in the end Justice Minister Buschmann instructed the Attorney General to release the prisoner.