Basketball player Brittney Griner freed in US-Russia prisoner swap

American basketball star Brittney Grinerwho was detained in Russia for nine months, was released on Thursday as part of a prisoner exchange with the Russian arms dealer Viktor Boutimprisoned for ten years in the United States.

The exchange took place on Thursday at the airport of Abu Dhabias reported by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Telegram.

Griner immediately boarded a plane for the United States.

“A few moments ago I spoke with Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home,” Biden said in a brief speech at the White House.

“I also want to thank the United Arab Emirates for helping us facilitate Brittney’s release,” he added, commenting that the athlete had “good morals” despite the “trauma” she suffered.

His wife, Cherelle Griner, said she was “overwhelmed with emotions.” “My family is complete,” she noted, expressing her “thank you” to the Democratic administration.

The commissioner of the WNBA, Cathy Engelbert, assured in turn that the athlete was in the minds and hearts of all the members of the league during her detention.

The concern of everyone in the WNBA “has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief,” Engelbert added in a statement.

“Bravo to the administration of Joe Biden for the difficult diplomatic work that was necessary to carry out to arrive” at this release, former president Barack Obama, famous for his love of basketball, tweeted.

Saudi Arabia also participated in the exchange procedure, according to a joint statement with the United Arab Emirates, which specifies that “the mediation was carried out” by the president of the Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayedand by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohamed bin Salman.

Biden thanked Abu Dhabi but in any case the White House played down his role, as well as that of Saudi Arabia.

“The only countries that participated in the negotiations are the United States and Russia,” said Karine Jean-Pierre, a spokeswoman for the US executive.

A senior US official said the discussion with Moscow had focused on Griner’s release and that Washington had let Ukraine and other allies know.

“Strong Disappointment” by Paul Whelan

Another American detained in Russia, ex-military officer Paul Whelan, was not included in the exchange. “Even if we fail to secure Paul’s release, we will never give up,” Biden said.

In a statement, his family said they were “happy” for Griner but “still devastated” by Whelan’s stay in a Russian prison ahead of Christmas, which the family will spend “for the fourth time” without him.

Speaking to CNN by phone from the penal colony where he is being held in Russia, Whelan said he was “very disappointed” not to be part of the exchange. “I don’t understand why I’m still here,” he said.

Arrested in December 2018 in Russia, Whelan was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison for “espionage”, a sentence that the former military man denounced as fabricated.

The Lord of the war

The 32-year-old African-American athlete, a two-time Olympic champion, was arrested in February at a Moscow airport with a vape and liquid containing cannabis, a product prohibited in Russia.

She explained that she used it to calm the pain related to her intensive basketball practice, but in August she was sentenced to nine years in prison.

After her appeal was rejected, she was transferred in November to a penal colony in Mordovia, in central Russia. For her followers, the athlete was held hostage by Moscow to negotiate with Washington.

Viktor Bout’s name had been mentioned that summer.

Famous Russian arms dealer arrested in Thailand in 2008, was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the United States.

Nicknamed the “death dealer,” his life inspired the film The Lord of the warin which Nicolas Cage plays a cynical arms dealer.

Russian state television showed him smiling as he arrived in Moscow, where he was received by his family.

“They woke me up in the middle of the night and told me to collect my things. There was no clear information beforehand,” he told Rossiya 24. “I got here, that’s the most important thing,” he added.

Americans and Russians accuse each other of arrests for political purposes. Several prisoner exchanges have taken place in the past.