Newsman: The USA Basketball star Brittney Griner was release from Russian detention as part of a prisoner swap. Griner is a two-time Olympian (2016, 2020) and two-time Olympic gold medalist.
The prisoner exchange between the US and Russia for Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout was secured by joint mediation between UAE and Saudi Arabia, the countries said in a statement. The prisoner exchange was completed successfully at Abu Dhabi Airport on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry said earlier Thursday.
“The joint statement issued by the [Saudi Arabian and the UAE] ministries affirmed that the success of the mediation efforts is a reflection of the mutual and solid friendship that connects both countries with the United States of America, and the Russian Federation.”
US President Joe Biden expressed his gratitude to the UAE for its role in the swap in remarks at the White House.
The statement confirmed that Abu Dhabi received Griner by private plane from Moscow after the Russian authorities released her, in conjunction with the reception of Bout on a private plane from Washington after the US authorities released him, in the presence of specialists from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“Both America and Russia claimed their citizens, in preparation for transfer to their countries,” the statement said. “The UAE and Saudi Arabian foreign ministries expressed the thanks of their respective governments to the governments of the US and Russia for their cooperation and response, and for the joint mediation efforts made by the leaderships of the two countries.”
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The decision was discussed when UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in October. They also spoke about it and other issues on a call Wednesday.
Steve Zissou, Viktor Bout’s lawyer in the US, told CNN on Thursday that the prisoner swap between Brittney Griner and his client is “fair.”
“As I have urged for some time, given the fifteen long years that Viktor Bout has been in custody since the United States government targeted him in 2006, his exchange for Brittney Griner, who has only been in custody for a few months, is fair,” he said in a statement to CNN.
“Viktor Bout has been reunited with his family, just as Brittney Griner is with hers. The people of Russia never gave up on him during the fifteen years of his wrongful incarceration, just as the people of the United States never gave up on Ms. Griner. Hopefully, this is just the first of many reasonable agreements between the U.S. and Russia that will lead to better relations and a safer world,” he added.
