Prisoner swaps occur between two countries, usually involved in a conflict of some sort, when they find it mutually beneficial to release political prisoners, prisoners of war, people charged with espionage, and others, in exchange for the same. This has been a common practice in most of modern history, especially during the Cold War, when espionage was a primary tactic. With major conflicts ongoing around the world, they're becoming more common once again.
From the legendary Russian sleeper agent Anna Chapman to the American WNBA champion Brittney Griner, history has been traded back and forth in the form of human beings. Read on to learn more about the most famous prisoner exchanges in history.