Agent exchange
An agent exchange is understood to mean when two secret services release captured agents of the other side and receive their own agents in exchange.
Exchange reasons
The following reasons can exist for the exchange of agents:
- Own agents captured by the enemy to receive
- to prevent undiscovered structures of one's own network of agents from being revealed to the enemy (treason).
- Skim off previously unknown information that could not be communicated after the arrest and was not disclosed after the arrest.
- Use the agent's experience for educational purposes.
- punish the captured agent.
- exploit the agent's services for propaganda purposes in their own country.
- Prevent hostile actions to free the captured agent.
Humanitarian reasons (liberation, return home, family reunification) usually do not play a role. However, they are usually given to the public when the case becomes known.
Exchange practice
As a rule, an exchange takes place in camera, as neither side wants to admit that they are spying abroad . So you usually agree on a silent action. Only in a few cases is the public unintentionally or deliberately involved.
During the Cold War , states of the Eastern bloc also used dissidents and / or political prisoners as objects of exchange.
Post-Soviet Russia also uses political prisoners as bargaining chips for prisoner exchanges.