WNBA star Brittney Griner released by Russia in 1-for-1 prisoner swap with 'merchant of death' arms dealer Viktor Bout | The Sun
December 8, 2022BRITTNEY Griner has been released from prison in Russia.
The WNBA star was released Thursday in a one-for-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, officials said.
Griner was held for months in a Russian prison after being convicted of drug charges.
The one-for-one prisoner exchange was approved by president Joe Biden within the last week, CBS News reported.
The agreement was reportedly reached last Thursday.
Biden shared a message about Giner's release on Thursday alongside a picture with her wife Charelle and vice president Kamala Harris.
"Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home," read his tweet.
Russian courts sentenced Griner to nine years in prison on August 4 on drug smuggling charges for bringing hashish oil into the country.
Griner was heading back to New York in February 2022 when she was stopped at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after a scan revealed that she had cartridges containing liquid with hashish oil.
Bout was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the states after being convicted by a federal court in 2011 for conspiracy to kill US citizens and officials.
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