The American basketball star who was imprisoned in Russia was freed thanks to the prisoner exchange plan

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been officially freed by Russia and is on her way back to the US thanks to a prisoner exchange effort from Washington.

This information is confirmed by many major news sites in the US. The prisoner exchanged for WNBA player Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who was jailed by the US 10 years ago.

This prisoner exchange took place yesterday in Vietnam time in the United Arab Emirates, the result of many weeks of secret negotiations between the two countries. CBS News reported that the two countries officially reached an exchange agreement a week ago.

The White House and US President Joe Biden personally confirmed this information. Mr. Biden later tweeted that he had just chatted with Brittney Griner live, saying the WNBA players are in very good spirits.

The White House spokesman added that Griner will be flown directly to San Antonio, where she will undergo a medical examination and will soon be back in the arms of her family.

Around February 2022, Brittney Griner boarded a plane to Russia to prepare to compete in this country's women's professional basketball tournament.

When she checked in at Sheremetyevo International Airport (Moscow), she was arrested for carrying an e-cigarette device containing concentrated cannabis oil. This is a banned substance in Russia and Griner is accused of possessing a banned substance into the country.

A court later found Brittney Griner guilty in August and sentenced to 9.5 years in prison. In the past month or so, some information has surfaced about the WNBA star being mistreated and insulted while serving his sentence.

The rest of the prisoner exchange was Viktor Bout, an arms dealer known as the "dealer of death." The 55-year-old Russian businessman was arrested in 2008 on Thai soil, then later was transferred to the US for trial in 2012. Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison.