The WNBA celebrity and -time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner (L) was once thrown into a Russian penal colony final month (Picture: AP)
Russia has freed US basketball celebrity Brittney Griner in a prisoner swap with considered one of the world’s greatest illicit palms dealers, president Joe Biden said these days.
Griner used to be set to serve nine years in a penal colony after a Russian courtroom convicted her on a drug use fee.
This morning, Biden tweeted an image of himself and Cherelle Griner Griner’s spouse, in the Oval Place Of Job.
He wrote: ‘Moments in the past I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her means home.’
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.
She is protected.
She is on a plane.
She is on her method home.
He had served lower than half his 25-year-lengthy jail sentence.
In an address nowadays with vice-president Kamala Harris and Cherelle by means of his facet, Biden mentioned: ‘She’s secure, she’s on a airplane, she’s on her way home after months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held beneath intolerable cases.
‘Brittney will quickly be again in the fingers of her loved ones and she must’ve been there all along.’
Biden showed that Griner is out of Russia and has landed within the United Arab Emirates – she is going to be in the US throughout the next 24 hours.
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We by no means stopped pushing for her liberate,’ he introduced.
Biden mentioned that the trade was the outcome of ‘severe and painstaking negotiations’ with Russian and UAE officers.
‘These past few months have been Hell for Brittney and Cherelle,’ Biden introduced, ‘and her whole family and all her teammates again house.’
Brittney is in ‘just right spirits and is relieved to be in any case heading home’, the president mentioned with a smile.
‘And the truth remains she’s misplaced months of her lifestyles, skilled unnecessary trauma and deserves space, privateness and time together with her loved ones to get better and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.’
The president stated Griner sent him a letter earlier this yr announcing: ‘Please do all you’ll be able to to convey me house.’
