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US President Joe Biden announced the release of Brittney Griner Thursday, saying the WNBA star is on her way home now after months in Russian detention.
Griner was released as part of a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Griner had been detained on drug smuggling charges. She testified she had inadvertently packed cannabis oil that was found in her luggage at an airport and was sentenced to nine years in prison in August.
Thursday's swap did not include another American that the State Department has declared wrongfully detained, Paul Whelan.
18 min ago
US DOJ officials expressed frustration about prisoner swap when deal narrowed to 1-for-1, sources say
From CNN's Evan Perez
After months of behind-the-scenes discussions inside the US government about efforts to secure the release of Americans held in Russia, including Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, the outlines of a deal emerged in the past week, people briefed on the matter said.
White House officials briefed government agencies that the Russians would only agree to swap convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout for WNBA player Brittney Griner.
Justice Department officials, who were always opposed to releasing Bout, expressed frustration that an earlier deal that included Whelan had been narrowed to Griner.
One US official said law enforcement officials raised strenuous objections and were told the decision had been made.
For law enforcement officials from the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which spent years and elaborate efforts to try to capture the convicted arms dealer, the release of Bout raised additional concerns about the precedent the deal could set.
Bout, a former Soviet military officer, was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization. Bout has maintained he is innocent.
The publicity surrounding Griner — including celebrities posting criticism of the Biden White House on social media for not moving more quickly to secure her release — appeared to raise the Russian price for Griner’s release, law enforcement officials say.
That adds to concerns that the deal increases the likelihood that Russia, Iran and other countries could use the arrest of Americans to try to use the publicity to gain concessions the US otherwise wouldn’t give.
this is so unfair to paul whelan
