Brittney Griner released in prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer

Brittney Griner is headed back to the U.S. for the first time in practically 10 months.

The U.S. on Thursday agreed to a deal with Russia to launch convicted Russian arms seller Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner’s release. U.S. officials confirmed the information to a number of media retailers.

Bout experienced been held in an American prison for more than a 10 years. He is considered just one of the most perilous arms sellers in the earth and is acknowledged to a lot of as the “Merchant of Loss of life.” Bout was arrested in March 2008 in a U.S. sting operation in Thailand. He was extradited to the U.S. and later convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and officers, supplying support to a terrorist corporation, and supply of anti-plane missiles.

Bout was sentenced to 25 several years in jail. He was held at the United States Penitentiary, Marion in Illinois from June 2012 till President Joe Biden agreed to release him on Thursday in exchange for Griner.

The U.S. and Russia held talks for months centered on Griner’s release. In July, U.S. officers claimed they produced a “substantial offer” to Russia to return Griner and retired Marine Paul Whelan in a proposed prisoner swap. Whelan, who has been in Russian custody for approximately 4 yrs on espionage expenses, was not element of the a single-for-just one swap involving Griner and Bout.

Biden reported Thursday that the White Residence has “not neglected about Paul Whelan” and “will under no circumstances give up” on securing his release, in accordance to CBS News.

Griner was arrested at an airport in Moscow on Feb. 17 for carrying hash oil cartridges, which are unlawful in Russia. The WNBA star pleaded responsible to all expenses and was convicted in August.