Brittney Griner Released Video : Brittney Griner Freed From Russian Prison Video On Twitter. WNBA star Brittney Griner, according to President Biden, has been released from a Russian prison. At the White House, while standing next to Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner, Biden noted that it was a day that “we worked for a long time.”
“She is secure. She is flying. After being unlawfully detained and held in appalling conditions for months in Russia, she is now returning home “From the Roosevelt Room, Biden stated. Just before making the announcement, Biden called with Griner from the White House. He claimed she was in excellent spirits but needed time to heal because she was going through “trauma.” Britney should have been there the whole time, and she will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, according to Biden.
In a press release on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Griner had been traded for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout at the Abu Dhabi airport. The foreign ministry released a statement saying, “As a result of strenuous work, we managed to agree with the American side on organization of an exchange of Bout for Griner. “The Russian national has been brought back to his country.”
The exchange did not involve former US Marine Paul Whelan, who is still detained in Russia on spurious espionage charges, according to the US. Although we haven’t yet been able to secure Paul’s release, Biden declared on Thursday that “we are not giving up.” “We never will give up.”
Cherelle Griner said she was overcome with emotion and expressed her thanks to Vice President Harris, Biden, and other administration officials who helped secure the release of her wife. In addition to Griner’s agency, she thanked the WNBA.
She declared, “BG and I will continue to be dedicated to the cause of getting every American home, especially Paul.
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.
She is safe.
She is on a plane.
She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
Biden and his administration have made the arrest of Griner a key priority. She wrote him a letter by hand in July stating, “I’m frightened I might stay here forever.” Pressure mounted on the president to obtain Griner’s release. He expressed hope last month that after the U.S. midterm elections, Russian President Vladimir Putin might be more open to discussing a prisoner exchange.
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Griner, a player for the Phoenix Mercury, is the first openly gay athlete to accept an endorsement deal with Nike. She has won two Olympic gold medals and has been selected to the WNBA All-Star team seven times. During the WNBA offseason, she also participated for the Russian UMMC Ekaterinburg basketball team.
She was given a nine-year prison sentence by a Russian court in August for bringing less than a gram of hash oil into the country with her when she entered in February to play in the Russian women’s professional basketball league. She started serving out her term last month after being moved to a prison colony in Mordovia, 300 kilometres southeast of Moscow.
In court, Griner acknowledged that she had accidentally packed two vape cartridges in her haste to pack her bags, but she also produced paperwork proving that the hash oil was legitimately prescribed for pain relief by her American doctor.
Just days before Russia invaded Ukraine in February, as tensions between Washington and Moscow were growing, she was arrested.
The U.S. administration demanded a prisoner swap with Russia involving Griner and Whelan after claiming that Griner had been “wrongfully arrested.” The White House claimed to have offered a “substantial offer” for Griner and Whelan over the summer, which was widely reported to include a suggestion to trade Bout.
Paul Whelan’s release is still a goal for Biden’s team, he said.
Biden added, “Unfortunately, Russia is treating Paul’s situation differently from Brittney’s for absolutely unjustified reasons.
