Female basketball star Brittney Griner has finally been freed from a Russian prison, with the US sending notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout the other way.
Griner has been detained in Russia since February after she was accused of bringing cannabis oil in her luggage to a Moscow airport. United States officials have been actively trying to get her out of the country, and have finally done so on Thursday.
The negotiation was given final approval by president Joe Biden this week, and reportedly the swap was completed in United Arab Emirates. Biden has since confirmed that he has spoken to Griner, and that she is safe and on a plane.
"She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home," Mr. Biden said in a tweet. For Biden to secure Griner's release, he approved the release of Bout - who has been freed and returned to Russia.
Biden signed an order which cut short Bout's 25-year prison sentence this week to complete the exchange. Griner was said to be going through hell in prison, after moving to a facility in Russia.
According to The Nation, the prisoners in Mordovia are barely treated like humans, as there is extreme homophobia, racism and even gruelling work days that last 16 hours. Griner had moved to Mordovia in November after an appeal of her sentence was denied in October.
Musician Nadya Tolokonnikova gave an account of Mordovia after she spent two years there. The founder of the feminist group Pussy Riot was arrested in 2012, and she described the place as hell, where "beatings and torture" were common and expected.
It's been a tough year for Griner, who was sentenced to nine years back in August - following her arrest. But now she has been freed to return to the United States, with Biden confirming her safety.
Griner, who is an eight-time WNBA All-Star and champion in 2014 with the Phoenix Mercury, was travelling to Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg, as she has done every off-season since 2014, when she was arrested. She had appealed her sentence in an attempt to serve reduced jail time, but that request was denied, leaving her forced to serve her nine-years given.
However, finally a deal has been reached, ending a terrifying ordeal in Russia for the WNBA star. Biden spoke at the White House about the prisoner swap, and claimed that they'd be looking to free Paul Whelan next.
