(Bigstock photo)
Russian authorities have released WNBA star Brittney Griner.
Griner was released in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S.
Griner is serving a nine-year prison sentence after a Russian court convicted her on the importation of illegal drugs after Russian customs officials found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Griner had been incarcerated in a penal colony before her release.
President Joe Biden said he has spoken with Griner. The White House tweeted a picture of Biden in the Oval Office with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
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“She is safe,” tweeted Biden. “She is on a plane. She is on her way home.”
