Moscow (CNN) Russia is to begin freeing a small group of beluga whales and orcas held in a cramped pen, which some have dubbed " whale jail ," in the country's far eastern coast. Russian prosecutors began investigating the whales in November last year, after images and videos released by environmentalists showed them living in crowded pens. Commercial capture of killer whales is strictly regulated and allowed solely for educational and scientific purposes. News of the so-called "whale jail" prompted international criticism from animal rights activists, who said the captured whales were part of a million-dollar trade in marine animals to ocean theme parks in China. During the call-in show on Thursday, Putin said the killer whales alone could be sold for about $100 million.

Source: CNN June 21, 2019 06:11 UTC