American basketball player Brittney Griner, who has been arrested in Russia since February this year, has been released and will return to the United States in a prisoner exchange between the two countries, US authorities announced Thursday.
In a measure approved by President Joe Biden’s administration to allow the 32-year-old athlete to return, the United States “returned” to Russia Viktor Bout, a known arms dealer, who was serving a 25-year sentence on the ground American.
On social media, Biden said he spoke to the athlete and noted that she is safely on a plane “on the way home”.
A little while ago I was talking to Brittney Griner.
She’s safe.
She’s on a plane.
She’s on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT—President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
Griner, who won two Olympic gold medals with the United States, was arrested at Moscow airport in February for alleged drug possession and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison in August.
The Phoenix Mercury player during the break of the North American Women’s Basketball League (WNBA) has represented UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014.
The United States succeeded in returning Griner after several months of negotiations with the government led by Vladimir Putin, at a time when relations between the two countries have become even more strained and deteriorated due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The case divided public opposition in the United States, mainly because of the possible release of Viktor Bout, a former colonel in the Russian army, found guilty of selling millions of dollars worth of weapons on American soil, which would be used to attack the country. to fall. .
Source: DN
