President Biden agrees to swap Brittney Griner for Russian arms dealer
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson reports on WNBA player Brittney Griner being freed from Russia in a prisoner swap for ‘merchant of death’ Viktor Bout.
Brittney Griner was arrested in February before the start of the Russia and Ukraine war for bringing in vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis through a Moscow airport as she was returning to the country to play for a basketball league in the country.
About 10 months later, just weeks before the Christmas holiday, Griner is coming home.
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WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, stands listening to a verdict in a courtroom in Khimki just outside Moscow Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP)
Griner was freed from a Russian penal colony on Thursday in a prisoner exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, a U.S. official confirmed to Fox News.
U.S. and Russian officials have expressed optimism in recent weeks about a potential deal for Griner. A top Russian official said last week that a deal was possible before year’s end.
President Biden tweeted about Griner’s release. He was seen in pictures with Vice President Kamala Harris and Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner.
"Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner," the tweet read. "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."
Biden addressed reporters after the announcement of her release. He didn't mention Bout.
"After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along," Biden said.
Alleged Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, right, walks past temporary cells ahead of a hearing at the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Aug. 20, 2010. (CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken released a statement.
"I am grateful to the State Department team and to our colleagues across the government who worked tirelessly to secure her release," the statement read. "I especially commend Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, who is accompanying Brittney back to the United States, as well as his entire team. We also extend deep appreciation to our many partners who helped achieve this outcome, including our Emirati friends, who assisted in the transfer today.
"While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly. Despite our ceaseless efforts, the Russian Government has not yet been willing to bring a long overdue end to his wrongful detention. I wholeheartedly wish we could have brought Paul home today on the same plane with Brittney. Nevertheless, we will not relent in our efforts to bring Paul and all other U.S. nationals held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad home to their loved ones where they belong."
Griner was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Feb. 17 after Russian authorities said she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil inside her luggage. On Aug. 4, Griner was given a nine-year sentence after pleading guilty, arguing that she had been prescribed cannabis for her pain and inadvertently packed it. Her sentence was upheld in October, and she was later transferred to a penal colony.
Bout is known as the "Merchant of Death" and the possible swap for him was floated back in May. He was in the middle of a 25-year sentence in federal prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans relating to the support of a Colombian terrorist organization.
He was dubbed the "Merchant of Death" because of his notoriety for running a fleet of aging Soviet-era cargo planes to conflict-ridden hotspots in Africa. His dealings inspired the Nicolas Cage film "Lord of War."
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow Aug. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File)
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Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia, was not a part of the swap. He has been jailed on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government have said are baseless.