Brittney Griner was released by Russian authorities on Thursday as part of a prisoner swap deal after being held for nearly a year on drug charges.
U.S. authorities have released Russian international arms dealer Viktor Bout to complete the swap. WNBA athlete Griner had been jailed in Russia following her arrest at Moscow airport in February after cannabis-derived oil was found in her luggage. CBS News first reported that the deal had been completed Thursday, with Russia’s Foreign Ministry confirming the exchange to RIA Novosti. The ministry said the swap took place at Abu Dhabi airport in the United Arab Emirates.
In a tweet, President Joe Biden shared pictures of himself alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, in the Oval Office. “Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner,” the post read. “She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Griner is now expected to be given a medical check, as is standard procedure with freed American prisoners.
Arms dealer Bout, dubbed the “Merchant of Death,” had been serving a 25-year sentence given to him in 2012 after being convicted on terrorism charges. Biden signed the commutation order allowing his release in order to complete the prisoner swap, according to CBS.
The deal, which was reportedly agreed last Thursday, brings to an end months of diplomatic wrangling between the White House and the Kremlin. Griner’s arrest in February came at the time Russia was launching its invasion of Ukraine, with the conflict creating tensions between the U.S. and Russia unseen since the Cold War.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in November that Griner had been convicted in a “sham trial” and criticized her “unjust and wrongful detention.” He added that officials were working “relentlessly” to bring her home along with former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who is also detained in Russia on espionage charges and was not part of the deal.
While it’s not yet clear what broke the negotiating deadlock to secure Griner’s return, Biden’s administration at least made one concession by agreeing to make the deal a one-for-one swap, according to CBS.
Speaking on Thursday morning, President Biden said that it was “a good morning” at the White House. “This is a day that we worked toward for a long time,” Biden said. “We never stopped pushing for her release.” He added: “I’m glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits. She’s relieved to finally be heading home, and the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life experiencing needless trauma.”
Addressing Whelan’s case, Biden said: “Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up.”
In a statement David Whelan, Paul Whelan’s brother, said he was “so glad” that Griner is on her way home, but added that “our family is still devastated.” “Brittney is free. And Paul is still a hostage,” he added. “But how many more times do I need to write that?”
In a mirror of Biden’s comments, Russia’s Foreign Ministry criticized U.S. authorities in its statement about the prisoner swap. “For a long time, the Russian Federation has been negotiating with the United States on the release of Bout,” the ministry said, according to state media reports. “Washington has categorically refused to engage in a dialogue on including the Russian in the exchange scheme.” The statement added that Bout had already “returned to his homeland.”
Former Soviet military officer Bout, 55, was one of the world’s most wanted men and spent years evading capture before finally being arrested in Thailand in 2008. His black market escapades in the international arms trade are said to have inspired Nicolas Cage’s character in the 2005 movie Lord of War.
A DEA sting operation leading to Bout’s arrest saw him offering to sell anti-aircraft missiles to agents posing as members of a Colombian rebel group. Bout has always denied the charges against him, which included conspiring to kill Americans.
