Admin official: Russians had to sign oath admitting guilt, allowed to leave with families

Admin official: Russians had to sign oath on guilt

WASHINGTON — The four people who are being released by the Russian government in a spy swap with the U.S. were required by Moscow to sign a statement admitting guilt as a condition of their release, a senior administration official said Thursday.

The Kremlin later announced that President Dmitry Medvedev signed a decree pardoning the four, who had been convicted as foreign spies and were serving prison sentences, so they could be exchanged for 10 people accused of spying for Russia in the United States.

The senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the deal, said some of the four to be released by the Russians are in poor health. The official did not elaborate except to say the state of their health reinforced the interest in moving expeditiously.

The official said that the U.S. had been in contact with the four in Russia since Monday, and gave them the opportunity to leave Russia accompanied by their families. The official declined to say whether the U.S. has sought the release of others being held in Russia on charges of spying for the U.S.

The official said the U.S. began discussing a possible swap arrangement with the Russian government after the arrest of the 10, who pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to act as an unregistered agent of a foreign country.

Children of the people being deported from the U.S. as part of the swap will be permitted to leave the U.S. at any time, as long as the departure complies with the wishes of the parents and with any applicable requirements of U.S. law, a second senior administration official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the deal.