The American basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia for cannabis trafficking, was exchanged for Russian national Viktor Bout, who was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States, specifically for arms trafficking.
On December 8, 2022, at Abu Dhabi airport, an exchange took place between Russian citizen Viktor Bout and American citizen Brittney Griner, who were serving sentences in penitentiary establishments in the United States and in the United States, respectively. Russian Federation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on December 8.
Similarly, US President Joe Biden tweeted:
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way to home.
Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner.
She is safe.
She is on a plane.
She is on her way home. pic.twitter.com/FmHgfzrcDT— President Biden (@POTUS) December 8, 2022
The American president also stated that Washington had not yet succeeded in freeing Paul Whelanun, a former American soldier who Moscow believes is a high-ranking intelligence officer on a spy mission. In recent months, his name had been mentioned in connection with prisoner exchange negotiations between Russia and the United States.
Protracted negotiations
According to Russian diplomacy, Moscow “led a long process of negotiation with the US” to obtain its national release. “Washington categorically refused any dialogue on including the Russian in the exchange scheme; however, the Russian Federation continued to work actively to free our compatriot,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs states. Viktor Bout has returned to his homeland, according to the same source. During a press conference at the White House, Joe Biden stated that the United Arab Emirates “helped [the United States] to facilitate Brittney’s release,” indicating that the basketball player had arrived in this country.
As previously stated, Moscow and Washington had been negotiating a prisoner swap involving Viktor Bout and Brittney Griner for several months. Russia has repeatedly chastised Washington for making public statements about the talks while they were still ongoing.
The 32-year-old professional basketball player was transferred to a Russian penal colony in November to serve a nine-year sentence for drug trafficking. She was arrested at a Moscow airport in February with a vaporizer containing cannabis liquid.
Viktor Bout was apprehended in Thailand in 2008 and is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the US, primarily for arms trafficking. He had been imprisoned in this country for over ten years.