American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to the United States early Friday after being freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange following nearly 10 months in detention in Russia. The deal, which saw her swapped for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, secured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad and achieved a top goal […]
Tag: Griner
Brittney Griner Freed in swap for ‘Merchant of Death’
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from the Russian prison system in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death,”. Reports earlier this year suggested that Bout, whose weapons sales fueled deadly conflicts around the world, could be exchanged for Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. But […]
Brittney Griner’s 9 year sentence in Russia upheld
A Russian court rejected Brittney Griner’s appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession on Tuesday. The court ruled to uphold the sentence handed down to the WNBA superstar. However, in the ruling, the court stated that the time Griner will have to serve in prison will be recalculated with her time in pre-trial […]
Griner sentenced to 9 years; Russia is now ready to discuss prisoner swap
The US and Russia have indicated they are ready to hold talks over a prisoner swap, a day after basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to nine years in prison for carrying less than a gram of cannabis oil through a Moscow airport. Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters […]
Should Us trade Russian Arms Dealer for Griner, Whelan?
With basketball superstar Brittney Griner having faced yet another day in Russian court, pressure has mounted in Washington to sway President Joe Biden’s administration to offer the release of convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for her freedom and that of another detained U.S. citizen, suspected spy Paul Whelan. CNN reported Wednesday that […]