U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia and is now in U.S. custody, President Joe Biden said.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Griner from the Oval Office, a U.S. official said, adding that the call included Griner’s wife, Cherelle. The White House released a photo of the telephone call.Griner, 32, a star of the Women’s National Basketball Association’s Phoenix Mercury, was arrested on Feb. 17. Talks to secure her release were complicated by Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent deep souring of ties between Washington and Moscow.
She was sentenced on Aug. 4 to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs. She had pleaded guilty, but said she had made an “honest mistake” and had not meant to break the law.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brittney Griner being freed from Russia in prisoner exchange, U.S. says | CBC NewsRussia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, American officials said.
Read more »
U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner released from Russian custody in prisoner swapU.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia and is now in U.S. custody, President Joe Biden said.
Read more »
Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout: WNBA star freed in U.S.-Russia prisoner swapThe Russian foreign ministry said it traded Griner for Russian citizen Viktor Bout, a former arms dealer
Read more »
Russia frees WNBA star Brittney Griner in high-level prisoner exchange with U.S.U.S. is releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, American officials said, in exchange for Griner, who has been held by Russian officials since February.
Read more »
WNBA star Brittney Griner released from Russian detention in prisoner swap for convicted arms dealerWNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Read more »
Brittney Griner released; Canadian-born Paul Whelan left out of Russia-U.S. prisoner swapRussia freed WNBA star Brittney Griner on Thursday in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, American and Russian officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for U.S. President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price -- and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.
Read more »