Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was greeted by his family in Moscow after he was swapped in prisoner exchange for Brittney Griner.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas --
Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Baylor University All-American and Phoenix Mercury pro basketball star. Her status as an openly gay Black woman, locked up in a country where authorities have been hostile to the LBGTQ community, injected racial, gender and social dynamics into her legal saga and brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees.
The athlete, who also played pro basketball in Russia, was arrested at an airport there in February after Russian authorities said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil. Before her conviction, the U.S. State Department declared Griner to be "wrongfully detained" - a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.
In releasing Bout, the U.S. freed a former Soviet Army lieutenant colonel whom the Justice Department once described as one of the world's most prolific arms dealers. He was arrested in Thailand in 2008 and extradited to the U.S. in 2010.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Brittney Griner live updates: Brittney Griner arrives back in the United StatesThe U.S. has swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Read more »
Brittney Griner live updates: Griner arrives back in the United StatesThe U.S. has swapped WNBA star Brittney Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor bout, according to a senior U.S. official.
Read more »
Brittney Griner back home in United States after Russian prisoner swapBrittney Griner was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.
Read more »
Brittney Griner back home in United States after Russian prisoner swapBrittney Griner was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.
Read more »
Brittney Griner back home in United States after Russian prisoner swapBREAKING American basketball star Brittney Griner has returned to the United States after being freed in a high-profile prisoner exchange following nearly 10 months in detention in Russia.
Read more »
Brittney Griner back home in United States after Russian prisoner swapBrittney Griner was seen getting off a plane that landed Friday at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas.
Read more »