Brittney Griner Released

WNBA star Brittney Griner has sensationally been released from a Russian prison.

In February, the WNBA superstar was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after officials discovered cannabis oil vape cartridges in her case. Griner was found guilty of drug smuggling in August this year and given a nine-year sentence.

Griner's release resulted from a prisoner swap involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Another American wrongfully detained in Russia, Paul Whelan, was not included in the exchange.

"After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along." Joe Biden

Biden acknowledged that Griner's release had come about while Whelan remained imprisoned.

Biden commented that the situation "was not a choice of which American to bring home, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's. Whilst we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up."

Griner's arrest in Russia in February sparked diplomatic drama alongside Russia's war in Ukraine. Whilst the US passed debilitating sanctions in response to the war; US diplomats kept the lines of communication open with Moscow as they battled to secure the release of not only Britney Griner but also Paul Whelan.

Biden thanked members of his administration and said that efforts to bring Griner home took "painstaking and intense negotiations".

According to senior Biden administration officials, the prisoner swap occurred in Abu Dhabi Thursday. The Gulf country played an important role as a mediator between the US and Russia. 

Cherelle Griner was "overwhelmed with emotions." and thanked the Biden administration for securing her wife's release. On behalf of the couple, Cherelle Girne vowed to "remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today." 

The Griner family repeated those opinions in a statement released shortly after Brittney's release was announced.

"We sincerely thank you all for the kind words, thoughts and prayers - including Paul and the Whelan family who have been generous with their support for Brittney and our family during what we know is a heartbreaking time."