Russia finally frees Olympic basketballer
Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a dramatic high-level prisoner swap with the US for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The swap was a major goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a hefty price. The deal, which was the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad.
Brittney Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose months-long imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees abroad.
Biden's authorisation to release a Russian felon once nicknamed "the Merchant of Death" highlighted the escalating pressure that his government faced to bring Griner home. This follows the recent resolution of her criminal case.
"Today my family is whole," Cherelle Griner said in a press conference at the White House. She also called for Paul Whelan's release.
Biden says US has "not forgotten about Paul Whelan", will "never give up" trying to secure his release from Russia.
"We've never forgotten about Brittney and we've not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who's been unjustly detained in Russia for years," the US President said.
"This was not a choice of which American to bring home. We brought home Trevor Reed when we had a chance earlier this year. Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's, and while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up.”
Russian and US officials had conveyed cautious optimism in recent weeks after months of strained negotiations. Biden announced in November that he was hopeful that Russia would engage in a deal now that the midterm elections were complete.
The Biden administration was ultimately willing to exchange Viktor Bout if it meant Griner's freedom. The detention of one of the greatest players in WNBA history contributed to a swirl of unprecedented public attention for an individual detainee case — not to mention intense pressure on the White House.
Griner's arrest in February made her the most high-profile American jailed abroad.
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