RUSSIA- WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from a Russian penal colony and is currently in the United States in custody after a there was a prison exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, President Biden confirmed Thursday morning.
Biden signed the swap off, which was conducted in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday after weeks of negotiation between U.S. and Russian officials, according to NBC News.
Griner was charged and detained in Russia after she was arrested at a Moscow airport after going through security with cannabis-extracted oil vape cartridges.
After a trial that took several months, Griner pleaded guilty to her charges and was transferred in November to a Russian penal colony (an environment fit for those in the LGBTQ community.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle, who has worked vigorously in trying to free her wife, reportedly spoke to Griner at the oval office before she was sent on a flight back to the states.
Biden said that his administration has not forgotten about Paul Whelan, an American who’s been incarcerated in Russia on espionage charges, serving a 16-year sentence. The U.S. will continue to work in negotiating his release.
Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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