Russian group pushes to free accused spies in exchange for Australian Oscar Jenkins

A Moscow-based organization is urging Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong to support a “humanitarian” prisoner swap involving Kira and Igor Korolev, a couple accused of being Russian spies, to help secure the “prompt” release of captured Australian fighter Oscar Jenkins. This week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the government had received a report from Russia that Mr. Jenkins was alive, following concerns earlier this month that the Australian prisoner had been killed in detention.

Now, the Russian branch of the International Human Rights Protection Committee is suggesting that Mr. Jenkins could be exchanged for the married Korolev couple from Brisbane, as well as Sydney fugitive Simeon Boikov, also known as “Aussie Cossack”. The non-governmental organization, which regularly advocates for Russian prisoners detained abroad, has public commentary that appears consistently aligned with statements made by senior Kremlin officials.

In an undated letter to Senator Wong and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, the organization’s vice-president Ivan Melnikov expressed hope that a prisoner swap could be conducted “despite the repeated difficulties in diplomatic relations between our two countries.” “Kira and Igor Korolev have been held in Australian pre-trial detention centers for more than six months on suspicion of espionage for Russia. Their health is a matter of concern, and their loved ones are understandably very worried about them,” he said. “Australian citizen Oscar Jenkins, a former teacher, was deceived by Western forces into going to Ukraine, captured by Russian troops, and is now being held in a Russian pre-trial detention center on suspicion of mercenary activity. Of course, his family is also very worried.”

Melnikov also defended pro-Putin activist Simeon Boikov, claiming that Boikov “was granted political asylum in connection with the criminal case against him and was forced to stay at the Russian Embassy in Australia for more than two years.” Boikov, an outspoken critic of COVID-19 lockdowns, also leads the Australian Cossack Association, which is aligned with the alt-right, and sought refuge at the Russian consulate in Sydney to avoid a guilty verdict for assault in an absentia trial.

“All these years he has not been able to live and work fully, as he cannot leave the embassy, and his relatives in Russia dream of meeting with him, but given the age of some of them, they are afraid that they will not live to see that day,” Melnikov wrote in the letter to the Russian and Australian foreign ministers. “In my work in the field of human rights, I have witnessed the difficulties faced by captured people and their relatives. I do not believe that in this case they will pose a danger to society if they return to their country.” “I ask you to take all possible measures and assistance to organize the exchange of Russian citizens Semyon [sic] Boikov and the Korolev family for Australian citizen Oscar Jenkins.”

On Thursday, Mr. Albanese declined to reveal whether Australia would consider a prisoner swap to secure Mr. Jenkins’ freedom, telling reporters that the government was still seeking detailed information about the Melbourne man’s condition. “They’ve provided information at this point in time, but we’re not going to take at face value anything that we hear from the Putin regime. We’ve been very clear that we believe Mr. Jenkins should be released,” Mr. Albanese said. “We don’t believe he should be subject to ongoing imprisonment, and we’ll continue to make those representations, but we’ll also continue to work with Ukraine to get further information.” When asked on Friday if he was satisfied with the details Russia had provided about Jenkins' situation, he responded "No...we are seeking further assurances and evidence."

When video of Mr. Jenkins being interrogated by Russian forces after fighting for Ukraine first surfaced last December, Boikov posted a video online urging the Albanese government to include him in any possible prisoner exchange deal with Moscow. Australian officials have privately suspected since Mr. Jenkins was captured by Russian forces as a prisoner of war that the Putin regime would try to use him as leverage to secure the release of the Korolev couple. Overnight, the Russian Embassy in Canberra issued a statement accusing the Australian government and media of promoting an “anti-Russian narrative” in Mr. Jenkins’ case.

“The Australian government and mainstream media seem to have a misunderstanding of the story of Oscar Jenkins. They constantly send and broadcast demands to Russia and threaten a ‘clear’ response, instead of reflecting on their responsibility for what happened to their Australian compatriot,” the statement read. The embassy said that politicians and the media had been “misleading Australians into believing that going to Ukraine to kill Russians is a laudable thing to do,” specifically pointing to a “state-funded public broadcaster” that was “eager to inform its audience about the qualifications for joining the Ukrainian foreign legion, while highlighting that military background is optional,” a clear reference to background explainers published by the ABC in January.

The statement, the embassy’s first public comment since the 32-year-old Melbourne teacher was captured, also included claims that Australian veterans were being issued “foreign work permits” to join the fight against the Russian invasion in Ukraine. “In this context, the official ‘do not travel’ advice can only be seen as a hypocritical disclaimer to cover up the policy of condoning, indeed encouraging, citizens to go and fight Russians.” A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the government has “warned Australians against travelling to Ukraine” since Russia’s illegal invasion nearly three years ago. “We continue to advise Australians not to travel to Ukraine and Russia. The travel advice is clear. We have also made clear that Russia must provide Mr Jenkins with the protections he is entitled to under international humanitarian law.”