Brittney Griner is free: Prisoner swap negotiation secured
As the United States woke up today, news broke that Olympic medalist and WNBA player Brittney Griner was freed from a Russian penal colony and on her way back to America. The United States successfully negotiated a prisoner swap to secure Griner’s release and traded for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the U.S.
Griner was detained at a Russian airport on February 17, 2022, for possession of drugs. At the time of her arrest, she had less than one gram of cannabis oil in her luggage as she tried to enter the country to play basketball in the WNBA off-season. She was tried and convicted and then sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony.
The United States began negotiations with Russia immediately to secure her release and the idea of a prisoner swap was raised quickly. In November, Griner was transported to the IK-2 penal colony in Yavas, Mordovia, 48o kilometers outside of Moscow. Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner expressed grave concerns about the health, well-being, and mental health of her wife.
At a press conference this morning, President Biden confirmed that Brittney Griner was on a plane, on her way back to the United States, and “in good spirits.”
“Britney Griner’s long-awaited release is a relief for her wife, teammates, fans and all in the LGBTQ+ community who recognized the extreme danger she faced as an out gay Black woman detained in Putin’s Russia,” said GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement.
“Britney’s wife Cherelle never gave up fighting for her safe return, and president Biden and the State Department never wavered in their commitment to the Griners and the LGBTQ+ community on Britney’s behalf. We can’t wait to welcome Britney home.”
It was thought that Paul Whelan, another United States citizen detained in Russia, would also be included in the prisoner swap. However, Russia was adamant that only Griner would be included in the deal this time. Paul Whelan was an ex-Marine that was arrested in Russia in 2018 on spy charges. The United States has been attempting to negotiate his release ever since, to no avail.
In the press conference this morning, President Biden said that his administration is continuing to work on Whelan’s release, and he has not been forgotten.
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Featured image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
