Exclusive
He was imprisoned in Russia for months – until he was unexpectedly released. star Patrick Schöbel talked about his daily life in prison and the prisoner exchange of which he was a part.
Patrick Schöbel is one of the men who were released in the prisoner exchange with Russia last Thursday: star The 38-year-old from Hamburg talks exclusively about his time in Russian custody, the growing despair behind bars – and what he said to Chancellor Scholz on the tarmac. Schöbel was arrested when he entered Russia on January 16 because he was carrying six cannabis gummy bears in his luggage. He faced up to seven years in prison.
“In the morning we were woken up by the national anthem and had to go to the inspection with our tops off,” says Schöbel about his daily life in prison. Most of the prisoners are looked after by their families, and once a month they receive packages with food, deodorant and other items. “Everyone soon knew that I had no family in Russia who could send me packages, and they always looked after me,” says Schöbel, who was only called “Gummy Bear Man” by the inmates.
Patrick Schöbel on prisoner exchange: “Maybe they’ll fly us to a penal colony”
Several times, men from the military came and offered the prisoners a deal: fight on the front in Ukraine for a year, then the rest of the sentence would be waived. Anyone was taken – even drug addicts who could barely walk, Schöbel remembers. “Russia takes junkies out of prison and sends them to the front as cannon fodder,” he says. He himself declined.
Schöbel only found out about the exchange at the last minute. While still on the plane, he was afraid: “Maybe they’ll fly us to a penal colony in Siberia.” It was only when someone on the plane handed him his passport that he thought: “Dude, they’re really letting me go home!”
Read the full interview with Patrick Schöbel here:
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
