Biden confirms that Griner is safe and on a plane back to the United States

The president of United States, Joe Bidenconfirmed this Thursday that basketball player Brittney Griner, released in Russia in prisoner exchangeyou are “safe” and on a plane back to the US.

“He’s safe, he’s on a plane. He comes back home ”, Biden said in a message on Twitter in which he also confirmed that he has spoken with her.

With these same words, Biden began his appearance at the White House with the vice president, Kamala Harris, and the athlete’s wife, Cherelle Griner.

The president explained that Griner, who is in “good spirits”, has been released – exchanged for a Russian prisoner, an arms dealer – after “intense” negotiations and after she was convicted of a “theatrical” and unfair trial. .

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

Biden also wanted to remind other Americans who have been taken “hostage” and “arbitrarily” detained in Russia or in other countries, and assured that they are a “priority” for his Administration.

In this regard, he regretted that the United States has not yet been able to release another American prisoner, Paul Whelan, whose case “unfortunately” and for “totally illegitimate reasons” Russia has treated differently from Griner’s.

Olympian and basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in February in Russia. She had been sentenced to nine years in jail. She is now back in the US after an exchange of prisoners between the two governments | Photo: Getty Images/File

Griner was convicted last August to 9 years in prison in Russia on drug possession and smuggling chargeswhile Victor Bout, known as the “merchant of death”, was serving a sentence of 25 years in prison in the United States.

The 32-year-old WNBA star athlete was sentenced on August 4 to nine years in prison after being found guilty of the crimes stipulated by articles 228 and 229.1 of the Russian penal code (drug possession and trafficking).

Griner, who was detained in February this year at a Moscow airport with cannabis oil among her belongings, accepted her guilt and asked for leniency, a request rejected by the court.

Source: Elcomercio