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WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, holds a picture of her team as she stands inside a defendants' cage before a court hearing in Khimki, outside Moscow, on Aug. 4. |
WNBA star Brittney Griner, according to President Biden, has been released from a Russian prison.
At the White House, while standing next to Griner's wife Cherelle Griner, Biden noted that it was a day that "we worked for a long time."
"She is secure. She is flying. After being unlawfully detained and held in appalling conditions for months in Russia, she is now returning home "From the Roosevelt Room, Biden stated.
Just before making the announcement, Biden called Griner from the White House. He claimed she was in excellent spirits but needed time to heal because she was going through "trauma."
Britney should have been there the whole time, and she will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, according to Biden.
Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer, was traded for Griner at the Abu Dhabi airport, according to a press release from Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
The foreign ministry released a statement saying, "As a result of strenuous work, we managed to agree with the American side on the organization of an exchange of Bout for Griner. "The Russian national has been brought back to his country."
Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who is still detained in Russia on spurious espionage charges, was excluded from the conversation.
Although we haven't yet been able to secure Paul's release, Biden declared on Thursday that "we are not giving up." "We never will give up."
Following months of discussions and a number of offers, senior administration officials told reporters on a conference call that the agreement to ensure Griner's release was reached recently. These proposals also sought to secure Whelan's release.
But the Russians refused to think about releasing Whelan.
In a conference call with the media, a representative said, "We did not have a choice as to which American to bring home. It came down to either taking home one specific American, Brittney Griner, or none at all.
Cherelle Griner said she was overcome with emotion and expressed her thanks to Vice President Harris, Biden, and other administration officials who helped secure the release of her wife. In addition to Griner's agency, she thanked the WNBA.
She declared, "BG and I will continue to be dedicated to the cause of getting every American home, including Paul."
Biden and his administration had made ending Griner's detention a high goal, and there was mounting pressure on him to do so. She wrote him a letter by hand in July stating, "I'm frightened I might stay here forever." Last month, Biden expressed his hope that after the U.S. midterm elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin would be more open to discussing a prisoner exchange.
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
She is safe.
She is on a plane.
She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT
Griner, a player for the Phoenix Mercury, is the first openly gay athlete to accept an endorsement deal with Nike. She has won two Olympic gold medals and has been selected to the WNBA All-Star team seven times. During the WNBA offseason, she also participated in the Russian UMMC Ekaterinburg basketball team.
She was given a nine-year prison sentence by a Russian court in August for bringing less than a gram of hash oil into the country with her when she entered in February to play in the Russian women's professional basketball league. She started serving out her term last month after being moved to a prison colony in Mordovia, 300 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
In court, Griner acknowledged that she had accidentally packed two vape cartridges in her haste to pack her bags, but she also produced paperwork proving that the hash oil was legitimately prescribed for pain relief by her American doctor.
Griner leaves a courtroom after the court's verdict in Khimki outside Moscow, on Aug. 4.
Just days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February, as tensions between Washington and Moscow were growing, she was arrested.
The U.S. administration demanded a prisoner swap with Russia involving Griner and Whelan after claiming that Griner had been "wrongfully arrested." In exchange for Griner and Whelan, the White House claimed to have made a "significant offer" over the summer.
On Wednesday, a U.S. representative informed Whelan's sister about Griner, and the representative also spoke with Whelan while he was imprisoned. The official told reporters that Whelan's family will also be contacted by Biden.
Biden stated that his team is still pursuing his release.
Biden added, "Unfortunately, Russia is treating Paul's situation differently from Brittney's for absolutely unjustified reasons.
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