JUST IN: Russia Frees Brittney Griner In Prisoner Swap

JUST IN: Russia Frees Brittney Griner In Prisoner Swap

Moscow confirmed Thursday it had exchanged US basketball star Brittney Griner, who had been jailed in Russia, for notorious arms trafficker Viktor Bout, who was serving a 25-year sentence in the United States.

“On December 8, 2022, at the Abu Dhabi airport, the exchange of Russian citizen Viktor Bout for US citizen Brittney Griner… was successfully completed,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Moscow said it had been negotiating with Washington to secure Bout’s release “for a long time” and that initially the US had “refused dialogue” on including him in any swap.

Read Also Reason For Depreciation Of Naira – UNIBEN Professor Of Economics

“Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot. The Russian citizen has been returned to his homeland,” the defence ministry said.

(FILES) In this file photo taken on March 08, 2008 Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout waits at a detention center of criminal court in Bangkok. US President Joe Biden said on December 12, 2022 that US women’s basketball star Brittney Griner is “on her way home” after being freed from Russia in a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. – The US athlete was arrested at a Moscow airport in February 2022 and handed nine years in prison in August for possessing vape cartridges with a small quantity of cannabis oil. (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP)

Bout was sentenced in 2012 to 25 years in a US jail after he was accused of arming rebels in some of the world’s bloodiest conflicts.

Griner, 32, was arrested shortly before Russia’s February offensive in Ukraine at a Moscow airport for possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.

Her lawyers confirmed to AFP on Thursday that the exchange took place.

Never Miss Any News, Join Our WhatsApp Group With This Link Below

https://chat.whatsapp.com/DdBOorlQD6wE9BhmOAon3c