Brittany Griner freed for Russian arms dealer in mediation led by UAE president, Saudi crown prince

USbasketball star Brittney Griner has been released in a prisoner swap with Russia's Viktor Bout,a former arms dealer, on Wednesday. As per a joint UAE-Saudi statement, the release of the USbasketball star was led by mediation involving The United Arab Emirates president and Saudi crown prince.

US President Biden also tweeted about her return and said, "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."

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Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Griner from the Oval Office, a U.S. official said, adding that the call included Griner's wife, Cherelle. The White House released a photo of the telephone call as well.Speaking shortly after Griner was released, Biden in an address at the White House said that he was “glad to be able to say Brittney is in good spirits”,and was looking forward to getting home.

For Griner’s release, the U.S. president ordered notorious arms dealer Victor Bout to be freed and returned to Russia. Biden signed the commutation order cutting short Bout’s 25-year federal prison sentence.The Griner-for-Bout exchange leaves retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan imprisoned in Russia. Whelan, convicted on espionage charges that the U.S. terms false, has been in Russian custody for nearly four years.

“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” Biden said, adding “we will never give up” on securing his release.

Meanwhile, the brother of 52-year-old Whelanpraised the Biden administration for its successful efforts to free Brittney Griner. He, however, called his brother's continued detention "a catastrophe".

"I am so glad that Brittney Griner is on her way home," David Whelan wrote. "As the family member of a Russian hostage, I can literally only imagine the joy she will have, being reunited with her loved ones, and in time for the holidays."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also praised the release of Brittney Griner from Russian detention and said the administration will continue efforts to bring Paul Whelan and other detainees back to the US.

“I am grateful to the State Department team and to our colleagues across the government who worked tirelessly to secure her release. I especially commend Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, who is accompanying Brittney back to the United States, as well as his entire team,”.

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32-year-old Griner, a star of the Women's National Basketball Association's Phoenix Mercury, was arrested on February17. Talks to secure her release were complicated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24th,and the subsequent deep souring of ties between Washington and Moscow. A two-time Olympic gold medallist, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport when vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia, were found in her luggage.

She was later sentenced on August4 to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs. Grinerhad pleaded guilty and admittedshe had made an 'honest mistake'and that she had not meant to break the law. In November, she was taken to a penal colony in the Russian region of Mordovia to serve her prison sentence.

While she is on her way, a lot of her teammates are posting tweets for her,welcoming her. Here is what they wrote -

"My best friend is on the way Home!!!!! I love you BG!!!" Emma Cannon, who plays for the Indiana Fever and was previously on Griner's Phoenix Mercury, wrote on Twitter.

"Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive," her Phoenix Mercury teammate Brianna Turner tweeted.

The WNBA and its men's counterpart, the National Basketball Association (NBA), had advocated for the release of the eight-times All-Star.

"BG is FREE!!! 294 days and she is coming home!!!" tweeted twice WNBA champion and finals MVP Breanna Stewart of the Seattle Storm, who was among the league's vocal advocates for her release.

(With inputs from Reuters)