'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Brittney Griner, the WNBA player who was imprisoned in Russia for illegal drug possession, has been released and returned home. Her release was contingent on the United States and Russia agreeing to a prisoner swap.
President Joe Biden tweeted the news on December 8, 2022, at 6:45 p.m., stating that he had spoken with Griner. Griner's release was awaited for a long time, and the internet was happy to hear the news.
Actor Christopher Walker shared the sentiments of many American members by saying that the news of Griner's return was a great start to the morning. He said:
"Brittney Griner Is Free And Coming Home. Amazing news to start this day."
Brittney Griner has been released from the Russian penal colony
On February 17, 2022, Brittney Griner was arrested at the Moscow airport after vape cartridges containing cannabis oils were found in her possession. Following that, she was taken to a detention center in Moscow and later moved to a detention center in Iksha.
Following an unsuccessful appeal, Griner was transferred to a Russian penal colony - an overseas island facility used to punish criminals through forced labor and isolation from society. The exact location of the aforementioned penal colony was unknown at the time.
It was reported that the United States government, along with Brittney Griner's team, were doing everything in their power to appeal her detention. Today, almost 10 months after her detention, Griner is to be released, as announced by President Joe Biden, sharing images with a joyous Cherelle Griner, Brittney's wife, and Vice President Kamala Harris, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The WNBA star was released from the Russian colony following a consensus of a one-on-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout. The swap was underway for several weeks and was given final approval by President Biden just earlier this week. The swap took place in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, December 8, 2022.
Following her return, Brittney Garner will undergo a medical examination, as is standard procedure for returning United States prisoners.
Implications of Brittney Griner's release discussed as netizens celebrate her return
Netizens have taken to social media to share in the Griner family's joy owing to the return of WNBA star Brittney Griner. Among those sharing in the joy are former U.S. President Barack Obama and former first lady Hillary Clinton.
As previously mentioned, The WNBA star was released from the Russian colony after a one-on-one prisoner swap for international arms dealer Viktor Bout was agreed upon.
Upon approving his release and return to Russia, President Biden cut Viktor Bout's federal prison sentence by at least 25 years, and notably, this one-on-one swap leaves U.S. marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia. The marine was convicted on espionage charges and has been in Russia for nearly four years.
The president recalled Whelan's plight and claims that the U.S. government will not stop fighting for his release as well, claiming his conviction to be false.
The White House had requested news agencies to withhold the news of Griner-for-Viktor swap details owing to the fragility of the situation. The president warned that making the details of the swap public beforehand would have led to Russia pulling out of the agreement, putting Griner's safety in jeopardy.
