Russia has freed WNBA star Brittney Griner in a prisoner swap, with the U.S. releasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Cherelle Griner, wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, called the past months "one of the darkest moments of my life" afterNow, Cherelle Griner says her "family is whole."
The basketball star was taken into custody at a Moscow area airport earlier this year in possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in Russia. Griner pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years in prison. From the Oval Office and following remarks from President Joe Biden, Cherelle Griner flashed a large smile on her face knowing "BG" will be home soon.
"Today I'm just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration," she said as she stood alongside Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.Cherelle Griner, who married Brittney Griner in June 2019, had fiercely advocated for her wife's release and promised to remain committed to bringing wrongfully detained Americans home.
"As we celebrate BG being home, we do understand that there are still people out here who are enduring what I endured the last nine months of missing tremendously their loved ones," Cherelle Griner said, acknowledging the family of Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018.
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Brittney Griner released from Russian prison in swap for convicted arms dealerBrittney Griner, a WNBA and Olympic champion, will be returning to the U.S. in a prisoner swap for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, a U.S. official told Fox News on Thursday.
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Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian prisoner the U.S. traded for Brittney Griner?Bout is a Russian who was the world's most notorious arms dealer in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was serving a 25-year prison sentence in Illinois before being freed as part of a U.S.-Russia swap.
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