President Biden agrees to swap Brittney Griner for Russian arms dealer
Fox News’ Lucas Tomlinson reports on WNBA player Brittney Griner being freed from Russia in a prisoner swap for ‘merchant of death’ Viktor Bout.
Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison on Thursday in a swap for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner’s release delighted the sports world after months of the Biden administration angling for her release from Russian custody since she was arrested in February, right before the start of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Brittany Griner is escorted by police before her hearing in Russia. (Getty Images)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Griner was arrested in February for bringing in vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis through a Moscow airport as she was returning to the country to play for a basketball league in the country.
About 10 months later, just weeks before the Christmas holiday, Griner is coming home.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner speaks to her lawyers standing in a cage at a courtroom prior to a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, July 26, 2022. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool via REUTERS)
BRITTNEY GRINER RELEASED FROM RUSSIAN PRISON IN SWAP FOR CONVICTED ARMS DEALER
She was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Feb. 17 after Russian authorities said she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil inside her luggage. On Aug. 4, Griner was given a nine-year sentence after pleading guilty, arguing that she had been prescribed cannabis for her pain and inadvertently packed it. Her sentence was upheld in October, and she was later transferred to a penal colony.
FILE - Phoenix Mercury's Brittney Griner, #42, is congratulated on a play against the Seattle Storm in the first half of the second round of the WNBA basketball playoffs Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Everett, Washington. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Bout is known as the "Merchant of Death," and the possible swap for him was floated back in May. He was in the middle of a 25-year sentence in federal prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans relating to the support of a Colombian terrorist organization.
Fox News First
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox.
By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. You understand that you can opt-out at any time.