Jump to content

Viktor Bout–Brittney Griner prisoner exchange

Viktor Bout in the custody of DEA agents on November 16, 2010, after being extradited to the United States.
Griner with the Phoenix Mercury in 2019.
Viktor Bout and Brittney Griner

On December 8, 2022, Russia and the United States conducted a 1-for-1 prisoner exchange, trading Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer. Griner, a WNBA champion star and Team USA Olympic athlete, had been convicted of smuggling and possession of cannabis in Russia in August 2022 and sentenced to nine years in prison. Bout had been arrested in Thailand in 2008 and transferred to the custody of the United States, where he was convicted of terrorism-related charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison in 2012.[1] The exchange took place at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, following months of negotiations.

The possible release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, imprisoned in Russia on espionage charges in 2018, was also part of negotiations. Russia refused to release Whelan along with Griner as part of the prison exchange; U.S. President Joe Biden said that Russia was treating Whelan's case differently "for totally illegitimate reasons".[2] The Russian position was that Whelan was an agent and so required an exchange of comparable value such as assassin Vadim Krasikov.[3] Griner and Bout were just considered criminals and so were of lesser value in their view.[4] Whelan would later be released by Russia through the massive 2024 Ankara prisoner exchange that would also release 25 other people from various nations.

Marc Fogel, another American detained in Russia for possessing a small amount of marijuana, was also not included in the prisoner swap. However, Sarah Krivanek, an American detained for a domestic violence dispute, was deported from Russia on the same day as Griner's release.[5][6]

Background on Bout

In the years after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Bout became a notorious international arms dealer, selling Soviet-made weaponry in Africa (including Angola and Sierra Leone, as well as Liberia under Charles Taylor), in Asia (including to the Taliban), and in South America; his customers included warlords, rogue states, and insurgent groups in war zones.[7][8] A 2002 Interpol warrant was issued against Bout by Belgium for money laundering.[9] After it was issued, and amid international pressure increasing, Bout fled to Moscow, where he lived in safety and was protected by Russian authorities.[9][8]

U.S. criminal charges, arrest in Thailand, and extradition to U.S.

Viktor Bout in the custody of DEA agents on November 16, 2010, after being extradited to the United States

Bout was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand on March 6, 2008, after being the target of a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration sting operation, in which U.S. agents, claiming to represent the Colombian rebel group FARC, negotiated with Bout for the supply of 100 9K38 Igla surface-to-air missiles and armor-piercing rocket launchers to be airdropped by Bout to agreed landing spots in Colombia. The imposters invited Bout to Thailand to meet their leader.[7][10][11] U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement were aided by Andrew Smulian, a former South African intelligence agent and associate of Bout who acted as a go-between and became an informer against Bout.[7][12]

After his arrest by Royal Thai Police in March 2008, based on an Interpol red notice requested by the U.S.,[13] Bout and the Russian government fought against Bout's extradition to the United States, but the Thai courts ultimately ruled (in 2010) that he could be extradited to face trial in U.S. federal court.[14][15][16][17] On November 16, 2010, Bout was extradited from Thailand to the United States amid protests by the Russian government, who deemed it illegal.[18][19][20]

U.S. prosecution and conviction

Bout's arrest in Thailand in March 2008 was based on a U.S. Department of Justice criminal complaint filed by prosecutors in Manhattan federal court,[21] which was unsealed the day after his arrest.[22] In May 2008, Bout was indicted on four federal terrorism-related charges: conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals; conspiracy to kill U.S. officers and employees; conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles; and conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization.[21][23][24] Additional charges against him were filed in February 2010.[25] These included illegal purchase of aircraft, wire fraud, and money laundering.[26]

On November 2, 2011, after a three-week jury trial in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, a federal court in Manhattan, Bout was convicted on all charges.[21][27] On April 5, 2012, Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the minimum sentence for conspiring to sell weapons to a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group.[28][29] US District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled that the minimum sentence was appropriate because "there was no evidence that Bout would have committed the crimes for which he was convicted had it not been for the sting operation".[28]

Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement denouncing Bout's sentence as "a political order".[28] During the trial, Bout's lawyers implied that he was a political prisoner.[28] Bout's wife Alla said shortly afterwards that the judge conducted the trial in a proper way.[30] Bout claimed that if the same standards were applied to everyone, all American gun shop owners "who are sending arms and ending up killing Americans" would be in prison.[31]

Sentencing and imprisonment

In September 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld Bout's conviction. The court rejected Bout's contention that he had been the victim of a vindictive prosecution and that there was no legitimate law enforcement reason to prosecute him.[32] In 2014, Bout hired the law firm of former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to represent him, seeking a new trial based on claimed "newly discovered evidence";[33] the courts rejected Bout's claim, finding it meritless.[34]

Prior to the 2022 prisoner swap, Bout had been scheduled for release in August 2029.[35]

Background on Griner

Brittney Griner in 2015.

Brittney Griner is an American professional and Olympic basketball player. Beginning in 2014, she played basketball during the WNBA offseasons for Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg. On February 17, 2022, Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport after the Russian Federal Customs Service found she was carrying vaporizer cartridges containing less than a gram of hash oil; in Arizona she had been prescribed medicinal cannabis which is illegal in Russia.[36][37][38] Some U.S. officials expressed concern that Russia was possibly using her as leverage in response to the international sanctions imposed against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in February of that year. Former Pentagon official Evelyn Farkas expressed concern that Griner could be used as a "high-profile hostage" by Russia.[39][40] Houston, Texas, Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee called for Griner's release.[41][40]

In an interview with CNN, California Democratic Congressman John Garamendi estimated that it would be "very difficult" to get Griner out of Russia. He stated that although there might be negotiations to have her released, they would be stymied by the fact that diplomatic relations between Russia and the United States were strained because of President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.[42] In March 2022, Russian state news agency TASS reported that a Moscow court had extended the period of Griner's detention while under investigation until May 19, with an official from the Russian Public Monitoring Commission stating that "the only objective problem has turned out to be the basketball player's height. The beds in the cell are clearly intended for a person of lesser height".[43] On March 23, the United States Department of State stated that an American diplomatic official had been able to visit Griner in detention, reporting that she was "in good condition".[44]

In early May 2022, the U.S. State Department stated that they had determined Griner was being "wrongfully detained", indicating a more aggressive approach towards securing her release.[45] On May 13, CNN reported that the Russian court had extended her pre-trial detention to June 18, 2022.[46] Griner's Russian attorney Alexander Boykov told the Associated Press he believed the relatively short extension of the detention indicated the case would come to trial soon.[47] On May 15, it was reported that the United States and Russia would consider a prisoner swap, with Russia exchanging Griner for Bout, who had served 10 years of a 25-year federal prison sentence in the United States for illegal arms dealing.[48] In May 2022, in Griner's first public interview since she had been detained, Griner's wife Cherelle spoke to Good Morning America and called Griner a "political pawn".[49] Cherelle stated she had heard from Secretary of State Antony Blinken and said, "I was grateful for the call. You say she's top priority, but I wanna see it".[49]

Russian prosecution and conviction

Fans at the 2022 NWSL Championship were invited to write letters to Griner.

In a closed-door hearing on June 27, a court in Khimki scheduled Griner's trial to begin on July 1 and extended her detention by six months pending the outcome of her case, according to her attorney, Alexander Boykov. She was photographed by the Associated Press and Agence France-Presse arriving at the hearing.[50][51] On the second day of her trial, July 7, Griner pled guilty[a] and then said, "But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law". Griner requested that she be allowed to give testimony to the court as soon as she had sufficient time to prepare.[53][52]

Sentencing and imprisonment

On August 4, the court found Griner guilty and sentenced her to nine years in prison, which would have made her release occur in 2031. They additionally fined her 1 million rubles (US$16,301).[54] On November 17, Griner's lawyers said that she had been transferred to IK-2, a female penal colony in the town of Yavas in the region of Mordovia;[55] previously she was held in an undisclosed location.[56]

Discussion of Paul Whelan and Marc Fogel

Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan was later released in a different exchange

Other individuals whose names were brought up in connection with a potential prisoner exchange included Paul Whelan and Marc Fogel.

Paul Whelan was arrested in 2018 for espionage in Moscow, and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Family members said Whelan had initially been told that he had been arrested to be exchanged for a Russian prisoner in the United States, mentioning Konstantin Yaroshenko (who was later released in return for American Trevor Reed), Viktor Bout, or Roman Seleznev.[57] On July 27, 2022, it was announced that President Joe Biden had authorized a trade for Whelan and Griner in exchange for Bout.[58]

Marc Fogel was arrested at a Moscow airport in August 2021, after authorities discovered 17 grams of cannabis in his luggage.[59][60] Fogel had been working as a history teacher at a Moscow school, and was sentenced to 14 years in prison at a Russian hard labor camp.[59]

After negotiations, only Griner was exchanged for Bout on December 8, 2022. Biden stated that "for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's".[2] Whelan said that he was "greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release". Speaking to CNN by phone from the remote Russian penal colony where he is being held, he added that while he was pleased that Griner had been freed, "I don't understand why I'm still sitting here".[61] The Russian position was that Whelan was an agent and so required an exchange of comparable value such as assassin Vadim Krasikov. Griner and Bout were just considered criminals and so were of lesser value in their view.[4] Whelan was later released in the 2024 Ankara prisoner exchange.[62][63]

Prisoner exchange

Negotiations

In May 2022, a Forbes article claimed the Biden administration had offered Bout in exchange for the release of Brittney Griner.[64] In June 2020, a Reuters article highlighted that following the charging of U.S. Marine Corps veteran Paul Whelan, Moscow was exploring the possibility of a prisoner swap exchanging Whelan for Bout and a pilot named Konstantin Yaroshenko.[65] Yaroshenko was released in exchange for U.S. Marine Corps veteran Trevor Reed in April 2022.[66]

In July 2022, the proposal got further support from President Joe Biden.[67] On July 27, 2022, Biden approved a possible trade for Griner and Whelan in exchange for Bout.[68] The possibility of an exchange was further complicated when the Russians demanded the inclusion of convicted assassin Vadim Krasikov,[69] who is serving a life term for an assassination in Germany, in the negotiations.[70]

Also in July 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov for the first time since the start of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, to whom he made an offer from the U.S. to secure the release of Griner and Whelan. According to the Tagesschau, it was unlikely that Krasikov would be transferred back to Russia.[71] On July 27, Blinken said that the United States had made a "substantial offer" to Russia to release Griner and Whelan, but declined to say what the United States was offering.[23] On the same day, CNN reported that the U.S. had offered to exchange Bout for both Griner and Whelan.[72][73]

Release

Bout was released back to Russia on December 8, 2022, after spending a total of fourteen years and nine months in custody, including 3,823 days at the United States Penitentiary, Marion in the southern Illinois city of Marion, Illinois. Once confirmation came that the prisoner exchange excluded Whelan, President Biden said, "While we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we have not given up; we will not give up".[2][74] Another American detained in Russia, Marc Fogel, was also not released in the swap.[75]

Sarah Krivanek, an American detained for a domestic violence dispute, had received attention from People magazine, and was deported from Russia on the same day of Griner's release,[5] after the U.S. Embassy had loaned her the money for her plane ticket.[76][77]

The BBC and Khaleej Times reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had claimed to have "played a leading role in mediation efforts", but that "the White House denied any mediation had been involved".[1][78] The exchange itself occurred at Al Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi, with Russian media playing video of the swap showing the prisoners passing within a few feet of each other during the exchange.[79] In an interview with Maria Butina shortly thereafter, Bout said that he spoke to Griner, wishing her luck, and that he felt that she was "positively inclined" towards him in their brief encounter.[80]

Following the exchange, Griner was flown to San Antonio, Texas, for an evaluation of her health at Brooke Army Medical Center.[81]

Reactions

Republicans criticized the prisoner exchange. Donald Trump called the swap for Griner "stupid" and an "unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA".[82] Michael McCaul, the Republican ranking member of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said that the trade would "only embolden Vladimir Putin to continue his evil practice of taking innocent Americans hostage for use as political pawns".[83]

Historian David Silbey stated "There's that underlying sense that this is part of the Democrats' focusing on someone who is sympathetic to them and leaving a Marine behind," despite Russia's refusal to include Paul Whelan in the exchange. He further stated "It fits nicely in the narrative that a lot of the right is telling America, about who gets the privilege in Biden's America".[84] Whelan's family stated that they supported the exchange.[85]

Some critical comments made reference to Griner's homosexuality, gender non-conformity, and past views on support for U.S. national anthem protests. Dani Gilbert, a hostage-taking-and-recovery expert and a Rosenwald Fellow in US Foreign Policy and International Security at the Dartmouth College John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding, characterized these critics as expressing the viewpoint, "If you hate the United States so much, how does it feel now?" Gilbert cited the perspective of some critics that Griner may have been less deserving of assistance than other prisoners held in Russia as contributing to some of the opposition to resolving Griner's case. Gilbert characterized certain reactions as being examples of the missing white woman syndrome.[86]

In Griner's first regular season game back with the Phoenix Mercury on May 19, 2023, she was welcomed back to the WNBA with a standing ovation under the rivaling Los Angeles Sparks' Crypto.com Arena.[87] The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, made a pre-game speech to the Mercury before the game began; she was also one of the notable attendants of the game that held a crowd of 10,396 people alongside former Los Angeles Lakers players Magic Johnson and Pau Gasol, then-current Lakers head coach Darvin Ham, and former tennis star Billie Jean King.[88] In Griner's first home game back two days later, she was welcomed to a greater standing ovation at the Mercury's Footprint Center under a season-high crowd of 14,040 people,[89] with new team owner Mat Ishbia commenting on the experience later that day.[90] Both games were nationally aired on ESPN and ESPN+ at the time,[91] with both games resulting in the WNBA gaining nearly double the viewing experience from their previous opening weekend.[92] After stating that she would not return to international play unless it were for the Olympic Games, Griner would return to play for Team U.S.A. in the 2024 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France alongside Mercury teammates Diana Taurasi and Kahleah Copper amidst controversy on her inclusion to the team over rookie player Caitlin Clark.[93][94][95][96] Griner and Team U.S.A. would eventually win the gold medal over the hosts in France after a tense 67–66 finale, with Griner being emotional after the U.S. national anthem was played following the medal ceremony after the gold medal game.[97][98][99]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Under Russian law, Griner's guilty plea was only an admission of guilt, and it did not end her trial; the court still had to prove that there was sufficient evidence she committed the crime.[52]

References

  1. ^ a b "Brittney Griner: Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Viktor Bout". BBC News. December 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "'We will never give up': Biden addresses Paul Whelan Russian imprisonment following Griner release". WYFF. December 8, 2022.
  3. ^ "Russia demanded that a spy held in Germany be freed in exchange for Paul Whelan". CNN. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Shear, Michael D.; Baker, Peter (December 9, 2022). "Inside the Prisoner Swap That Freed Brittney Griner". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Hopkins, Valerie (December 9, 2022). "Here's a look at two Americans still detained in Russian penal colonies". The New York Times.
  6. ^ "'Forgotten' American Sarah Krivanek Tells Her Story as She and Brittney Griner Are Freed from Russian Prison". Peoplemag. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Factbox: Viktor Bout, the arms dealer Russia has swapped for Brittney Griner, Reuters (December 8, 2022).
  8. ^ a b Adam Taylor & Claire Parker, Russia wanted Viktor Bout back, badly. The question is: Why?, Washington Post (December 8, 2022).
  9. ^ a b Matthew Brunwasser, End of the Road for Notorious Arms Dealer?, PBS, NewsHour (March 24, 2008).
  10. ^ "Revealed: trap that lured the merchant of death" Archived August 26, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Observer, Sunday, March 9, 2008.
  11. ^ "Flying Anything to Anybody" Archived February 3, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, The Economist, December 18, 2008.
  12. ^ Benjamin Weiser and Colin Moynihan, Conduit to Arms Sting, a Star Witness Apologizes for His Crimes, New York Times (May 23, 2012).
  13. ^ INTERPOL praises international co-operation behind arrest of suspected international arms dealer by Thai Police, Media release, INTERPOL, March 7, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  14. ^ Jim Heintz & Larry Neumeister, Reviled and revered Russian arms dealer is back in spotlight, Associated Press (July 14, 2022).
  15. ^ Hookway, James (August 21, 2010). "Thailand Says It Will Extradite Russia's 'Merchant of Death'". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on December 2, 2016. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  16. ^ Pomfret, John (August 20, 2010). "Suspected Russian arms dealer Bout to be extradited to U.S., Thai court rules". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 17, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  17. ^ "Russia and US go to war over 'Merchant of Death': Fury in Moscow after Washington wins battle to put suspected arms dealer Viktor Bout on trial". The Independent. London. August 21, 2010. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  18. ^ Mydans, Seth (November 16, 2009). "Russian Arrives in U.S. to Face Arms Charges". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  19. ^ "Extradition of 'arms dealer' Viktor Bout goes ahead". BBC News. November 16, 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved June 21, 2018.
  20. ^ "Thailand extradites accused international arms dealer". CNN. November 16, 2010. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2010.
  21. ^ a b c International Arms Dealer Viktor Bout Convicted in New York of Terrorism Crimes, U.S. Department of Justice (November 2, 2011).
  22. ^ "International Arms Dealer Charged in U.S. with Conspiracy to Provide Surface-to-Air Missiles and other Weapons to a Foreign Terrorist Organization" Archived May 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. United States Department of Justice.
  23. ^ a b Light, Felix (August 5, 2022). "Explainer: Who is Viktor Bout, arms dealer linked to swap for Americans held by Russia?". Reuters.
  24. ^ U.S. Announces Indictment of International Arms Dealer for Conspiracy to Kill Americans and Related Terrorism Charges, U.S. Department of Justice (May 8, 2008).
  25. ^ "US files new charges against arms dealer Viktor Bout" Archived May 12, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. CNN.com, February 17, 2010.
  26. ^ "U.S. Announces New Indictment Against International Arms Dealer Viktor Bout and American Co-Conspirator for Money Laundering, Wire Fraud, and Conspiracy" Archived July 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. PDF, U.S. Indictment released February 17, 2010.
  27. ^ "Russian Viktor Bout convicted over Colombian arms deal". Associated Press. November 2, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2013. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  28. ^ a b c d "Russian arms dealer gets 25 years in prison". Al Jazeera. April 6, 2012. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  29. ^ "Russian Arms Trafficker Viktor Bout Gets 25 Years in US Prison" Archived April 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Voice of America, April 5, 2012.
  30. ^ Jessica Jordan & Liudmila Chernova (April 9, 2012). "Alla Bout: husband's trial conducted 'properly'". Voice of Russia (The). Archived from the original on April 11, 2012. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
  31. ^ Morris, Harvey (April 6, 2012). "The Legal vs. the Illegal Arms Trade". IHT Rendezvous.
  32. ^ Chris Francescani (September 27, 2013). "Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout's U.S. conviction upheld". Reuters. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  33. ^ Stempel, Jonathan (December 5, 2014). "Arms dealer Bout seeks new trial, hires Ashcroft law firm". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 17, 2017. Retrieved October 17, 2017.
  34. ^ United States v. Bout, No. 15-3592-cr (2d Cir. 2016).
  35. ^ Yilek, Caitlin (December 8, 2022). "Who is Viktor Bout? Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death" swapped for Brittney Griner". CBS News. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  36. ^ "A Russian court has sentenced Brittney Griner to 9 years in prison on drug charges". NPR. August 4, 2022.
  37. ^ Abrams, Jonathan; Ganguli, Tania (August 1, 2022). "Why Pros Like Brittney Griner Choose Cannabis for Their Pain". The New York Times. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  38. ^ Crowley, Michael; Abrams, Jonathan (March 5, 2022). "Brittney Griner, Star W.N.B.A. Center, Is Detained in Russia". The New York Times. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
  39. ^ Eisenberg, Jeff (March 6, 2022). "Former Pentagon official: Russia could use WNBA star Brittney Griner as 'high-profile hostage'". Yahoo! News. Retrieved March 6, 2022.
  40. ^ a b "Fears grow Russia could use US basketball star Brittney Griner as 'hostage'". The Guardian. March 6, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  41. ^ "Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee demands release of WNBA star, Houston native Brittney Griner in Russia". Yahoo! News. March 5, 2022. Archived from the original on March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  42. ^ Sterling, Wayne; Yan, Holly; Tucker, Emma (March 7, 2022). "It'll be 'very difficult' to get detained US basketball star Brittney Griner out of Russia, lawmaker says". CNN. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
  43. ^ "WNBA's Brittney Griner arrest extended to May 19: Russian media". aljazeera. March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  44. ^ "WNBA star Griner in 'good condition' in Russian detention: US". aljazeera. March 23, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2022.
  45. ^ Abrams, Jonathan; Crowley, Michael (May 3, 2022). "U.S. Government Says Brittney Griner Was 'Wrongfully Detained'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  46. ^ Hanna, Jason; Chernova, Anna (May 13, 2022). "Brittney Griner's pretrial detention in Russia has been extended by a month, Russian state news reports". CNN.
  47. ^ "Griner detention extended; U.S. skeptical of talks". ESPN.com. May 13, 2022.
  48. ^ Shoaib, Alia (May 15, 2022). "Basketball star Brittney Griner could be brought home in a prisoner swap with a notorious arms dealer dubbed the 'Merchant of Death,' Russian media says". Insider. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  49. ^ a b Feinberg, Doug (May 25, 2022). "Brittney Griner's Wife Says She Wants WNBA Star Home In First Public Interview". HuffPost. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  50. ^ Chernova, Anna; Andone, Dakin (June 28, 2022). "Russian court schedules start of Brittney Griner's trial for Friday, her lawyer says". CNN. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  51. ^ Saul, Derek (June 27, 2022). "New Photos Show Brittney Griner In Russian Court As Trial Date Is Set For July 1". Forbes. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  52. ^ a b McKinley, Edward (July 7, 2022). "Brittney Griner's guilty plea doesn't mean what you think it does. A legal expert explains". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  53. ^ Dixon, Robyn (July 7, 2022). "WNBA Star Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge in Russian Court". The Washington Post.
  54. ^ Macias, Amanda (August 4, 2022). "WNBA star Brittney Griner sentenced to nine years in prison by Russian court". Cnbc.com. Retrieved August 5, 2022.
  55. ^ "Exclusive: Brittney Griner taken to penal colony in Russia's Mordovia region". Reuters. November 17, 2022.
  56. ^ Reevell, Patrick (November 12, 2022). "What Brittney Griner faces in Russian prison camps". ABC News. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  57. ^ Rob Schmitz; Miguel Macias; Amy Isackson (April 28, 2022). "Trevor Reed came back home, but Paul Whelan is still imprisoned in Russia". NPR.
  58. ^ CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan Archived December 8, 2022, at the Wayback Machine, CNN, Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez and Jennifer Hansler, July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  59. ^ a b Ward, Ian. "The Other American Jailed in Russia on Marijuana Charges". POLITICO.
  60. ^ Atwood, Kylie (August 26, 2022). "US asked Russia to release American Marc Fogel on humanitarian grounds, his family says | CNN Politics". CNN.
  61. ^ Bigg, Matthew Mpoke; Hopkins, Valerie (December 8, 2022). "Griner's release puts a spotlight on Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  62. ^ Walker, Shaun (August 1, 2024). "Russia frees Evan Gershkovich and others in biggest prisoner swap since cold war". The Guardian. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  63. ^ Hansler, Jennifer; Atwood, Kylie; Kottasová, Ivana (August 1, 2024). "US and Russia carrying out massive prisoner swap, including number of Americans, official says". CNN. Retrieved August 1, 2024.
  64. ^ "Brittney Griner Involved In Possible Prisoner Swap With Russia". Forbes. May 19, 2022. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  65. ^ "Former-U.S. Marine jailed by Russia on spying charges hopes for prisoner swap: Ifax". Reuters. June 23, 2020. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  66. ^ Shear, Michael D.; Nechepurenko, Ivan (April 27, 2022). "Russia Releases Former U.S. Marine in Prisoner Swap". The New York Times.
  67. ^ Crowley, Michael; Barnes, Julian E.; Nechepurenko, Ivan (July 28, 2022). "U.S. Offers to Swap Russian Arms Dealer for Griner". New York Times. Vol. 171, no. 59498. pp. A1, A6. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  68. ^ Atwood, Kylie; Evan Perez; Jennifer Hansler (July 27, 2022). "CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan". CNN. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  69. ^ Satrozewski, Zoe (December 15, 2021). "Vadim Krasikov Sentenced to Life in Prison by German Court for Kremlin-Ordered Killing". Newsweek. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  70. ^ Bertrand, Natasha; Frederik Pleitgen (July 29, 2022). "CNN Exclusive: Russian officials requested adding convicted murderer to Griner/Whelan prisoner swap". CNN. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  71. ^ tagesschau.de (July 30, 2022). "Russland fordert Auslieferung des Tiergarten-Mörders". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  72. ^ Atwood, Kylie; Perez, Evan; Hansler, Jennifer (July 27, 2022). "CNN Exclusive: Biden administration offers convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner, Whelan". CNN. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  73. ^ "U.S. has offered 'substantial proposal' to Russia in exchange for Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan". sports.yahoo.com. July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
  74. ^ "Brittney Griner: Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout". BBC News. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  75. ^ "Rep. Guy Reschenthaler upset prisoner swap didn't include Butler native Marc Fogel". www.cbsnews.com. December 8, 2022.
  76. ^ "California woman back home after Russian imprisonment". ABC7 Los Angeles. December 11, 2022.
  77. ^ "'Forgotten' American Sarah Krivanek Tells Her Story as She and Brittney Griner Are Freed from Russian Prison". Peoplemag.
  78. ^ "UAE confirms joint role with Saudi in securing release of US basketball star Griner from Russia". khaleejtimes.com. December 8, 2022. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022.
  79. ^ Joseph, Yonette; Soto, Kaly (December 8, 2022). "Russian state media releases video footage of the Brittney Griner prisoner swap". The New York Times.
  80. ^ "Russian arms dealer says he wished Griner good luck at prisoner exchange". Reuters. December 10, 2022.
  81. ^ Salinas, Rebecca (December 8, 2022). "WNBA star Brittney Griner to land at San Antonio's Kelly Field, head to BAMC for medical care after release from Russia". KSAT.
  82. ^ Bose, Nandita; Pamuk, Humeyra (December 8, 2022). "Brittney Griner Freed From Russia, Swapped for Notorious Arms Dealer". USA Today.
  83. ^ "Griner release is cause for relief but Viktor Bout transfer tough to stomach". the Guardian. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  84. ^ Weisman, Jonathan; Bensinger, Ken (December 9, 2022). "Blowback Over Griner's Release Exposes Depth of America's Divisions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  85. ^ "Family of American prisoner Paul Whelan backs Griner deal". AP NEWS. December 8, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  86. ^ Cash, Meredith; Barnaby, Lane (December 8, 2022). "The scientific theory of why some Americans didn't want Brittney Griner to come home from a Russian prison". Insider. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
  87. ^ Llewellyn, Liam (May 20, 2023). "Brittney Griner receives standing ovation as WNBA star makes incredible return". MSN. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  88. ^ Mullen, Eric (May 20, 2023). "Brittney Griner Welcomed Back to WNBA With Standing Ovation From Sparks Fans". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  89. ^ Wimbish, Jasmyn (May 21, 2023). "Brittney Griner receives standing ovation ahead of first home game of 2023 season for Mercury". CBS Sports. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  90. ^ @Mishbia15 (May 23, 2023). "What a cool experience Sunday at our first home game for the @PhoenixMercury. We had over 14,000 fans at the game (a new record) to see our wonderful team compete at the highest level against Chicago. Although we didn't win, we know our team is ready for a great season… and with this type of fan support, anything is possible. #ValleyTogether" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  91. ^ "How to watch the Phoenix Mercury on 1st over-the-air game of 2023". Arizona Sports. May 25, 2023. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  92. ^ Flavius, Lou (May 24, 2023). "BREAKING: ESPN Reveals Significant Ratings For WNBA Opening Weekend". Total Pro Sports. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  93. ^ Cluff, Jeremy (July 24, 2024). "How Brittney Griner's national anthem stance evolved between Russia, 2024 Paris Olympics". azcentral. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  94. ^ Summers, Juana (July 29, 2024). "Paris Olympics: Brittney Griner is back". NPR. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  95. ^ Iemmolo, Anne-Marie (June 24, 2024). "From Russian detention to Team USA: Brittney Griner's third Olympic selection marks return to international stage". Cronkite News. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  96. ^ Coffey-Behrens, Kelly (June 8, 2024). "Brittney Griner Will Play At 2024 Paris Olympics, Caitlin Clark Snubbed". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved August 4, 2024.
  97. ^ "Brittney Griner lets tears flow during national anthem after U.S. women win gold". AP News. August 11, 2024.
  98. ^ Ortiz, Jenna. "'I didn't think I'd be here': Mercury's Brittney Griner celebrates an emotional gold medal". USA TODAY.
  99. ^ "Griner: Gold 'means so much' after Russia ordeal". ESPN.com. August 11, 2024.
Retrieved from "https://en.Wik.ipedia.Pro.org/w/index.php?title=Viktor_Bout–Brittney_Griner_prisoner_exchange&oldid=1250616751"

See what we do next...

OR

By submitting your email or phone number, you're giving mschf permission to send you email and/or recurring marketing texts. Data rates may apply. Text stop to cancel, help for help.

Success: You're subscribed now !