Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, American officials said.
The Associated PressWNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medallist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroom in Moscow on Aug. 4. On Thursday, the U.S. announced that she had been freed as part of a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap.The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia, Paul Whelan, who also holds Canadian citizenship.
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe.She is on a plane.She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDTBout has been imprisoned in the U.S. since a federal court conviction in 2011 on an assortment of charges, including conspiracy to kill American citizens. Biden, who tweeted a photo from the White House with Griner's spouse, Cherelle Watson, is expected to speak about the development shortly, multiple U.S. outlets reported.
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