WNBA star Brittney Griner has been freed in a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia after nearly 10 months of incarceration. Here's how the Biden administration says the release happened.
Through diplomatic and intelligence channels, the U.S. made several alternative proposals to free Griner and Whelan, according to a senior U.S. official. The U.S. also asked other governments to raise the issue with the Russians to help keep the pressure on.
While the U.S. insists the charges are baseless, the Russians place Whelan in a distinct category as an alleged spy and rejected every proposal that included him, the senior official said. That left a potential one-for-one swap. Last week, Biden made the "very painful decision" to proceed with that deal and commute the last seven years of Bout's sentence, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters.The process of returning Griner to the U.S. and Bout to Russia began early this week, when the basketball star was moved from the prison colony to Moscow, according to the senior administration official.
Then came a call from the Oval Office, where Biden was seated alongside Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner. After the call, Biden stepped to the podium to announce the news. "After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved one and she should have been there all along," Biden said
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