Live updates: Brittney Griner released from Russian detention
Category: News & Politics
Via: george • 2 years ago • 35 commentsBy: Kathleen Magramo, Sana Noor Haq, Eliza Mackintosh and Aditi Sangal (CNN)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By Kathleen Magramo, Sana Noor Haq, Eliza Mackintosh and Aditi Sangal, CNN
Updated 9:00 a.m. ET, December 8, 2022 24 Posts Sort byLatestOldestDropdown arrow 1 min ago
"It was a choice to get Brittney or nothing," US official says
From CNN's MJ Lee
A US official says Russians signaled more recently that they were only willing to negotiate for Brittney Griner and not Paul Whelan. That is because Russians have been handling their cases differently based on what each has been accused of.
The Biden administration repeatedly made offers to get Whelan as part of this deal - even after Russia made clear only Griner was acceptable.
In the end, when it was clear Russia was going to refuse on Whelan, the US had to accept it.
"It was a choice to get Brittney or nothing," the US official said.
The official says it was a "difficult decision" for President Joe Biden but one he felt he had to make.
Remember: Whelan, a US, Irish, British and Canadian citizen, was detained at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 by Russian authorities who alleged he was involved in an intelligence operation. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges he has vehemently denied.
Whelan had been carrying out his sentence at a labor camp in Mordovia, an eight-hour drive from Moscow, where he told CNN in June 2021 he spent his days working in a clothing factory that he called a "sweatshop."
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The Whelan family is happy for Griner's release, but devastated Paul was left behind
From CNN's Jennifer Hansler
The family of Paul Whelan, the American wrongful detainee left behind in Russia, expressed happiness at the news that Brittney Griner is on her way home, but said they are "devastated" that he was left behind.
They commended the Biden administration for both making the deal to secure her release, and noted they had been given a heads up about the deal.
"I can't even fathom how Paul will feel when he learns. Paul has worked so hard to survive nearly 4 years of this injustice. His hopes had soared with the knowledge that the US government was taking concrete steps for once towards his release. He'd been worrying about where he'd live when he got back to the US," David Whelan, Paul's brother, said in an email to the media Thursday.
"And now what? How do you continue to survive, day after day, when you know that your government has failed twice to free you from a foreign prison? I can't imagine he retains any hope that a government will negotiate his freedom at this point. It's clear that the US government has no concessions that the Russian government will take for Paul Whelan. And so Paul will remain a prisoner until that changes," Whelan said.
"Increasingly, I worry that Paul himself won't survive 12 more years in a Russian labor colony. He has tried to stay healthy but one wonders how long that determination to keep going can endure," he said, noting that "the likelihood that our parents will see their son again diminishes each day his wrongful detention continues."
David Whelan said he did not know if his brother was aware of Griner's release yet, "although he will surely learn from Russian media."
Whelan commended the Biden administration for making the deal to free Griner, however, and acknowledged that the family had been given a heads up.
"I am so glad that Brittney Griner is on her way home. 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,"
"The Biden administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn't going to happen," he said.
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"This was not a choice of which American to bring home," Biden says as prisoner swap excludes Paul Whelan
President Joe Biden addressed the fact that the swap did not include another American who the State Department has declared wrongfully detained: Paul Whelan.
"We've not forgotten about Paul Whalen, who has been unjustly detained in Russia for years. This was not a choice of which American to bring home. We brought home Trevor Reed when we had a chance earlier this year. Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case differently than Brittney's," Biden said Thursday.
"While we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul's release, we are not giving up. We will never give up. We remain in close touch with Paul's family, the Whelan family. My thoughts and prayers are with them today. They have to have such mixed emotions today," Biden added.
"I guarantee," Biden said, that the US will keep working on Whelan's release.
Some background: Whelan, a US, Irish, British and Canadian citizen, was detained at a Moscow hotel in December 2018 by Russian authorities who alleged he was involved in an intelligence operation. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges he has vehemently denied.
Whelan had been carrying out his sentence at a labor camp in Mordovia, an eight-hour drive from Moscow, where he told CNN in June 2021 he spent his days working in a clothing factory that he called a "sweatshop."
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Griner's wife: "The most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude"
Cherelle Griner talks about the release by Russia of her wife, WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner, as U.S. President Joe Biden listens, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S. on December 8. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
WNBA star Brittney Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, thanked US President Joe Biden for his administration's efforts in releasing Griner from Russian detention.
"So over the last nine months, you all have been so privy to one of the darkest moments of my life, and so today I'm just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for President Biden and his entire administration," she said in remarks from the White House.
"Today my family is whole, but as you are all aware, there are so many other families that are not whole," she added later on in her remarks, referencing other Americans that remain in Russian detention including Paul Whelan.
"I will say that B.G. (Brittney Griner) and I will remain committed to the work of getting every American home, including Paul, whose family is in our hearts today as we celebrate B.G. being home," she said.
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Biden: "Brittney is in good spirits"
President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Washington, on December 8. (Patrick Semansky/AP)
President Joe Biden said WNBA star Brittney Griner "is in good spirits" as she is on a plane back to the US.
"These past few months have been hell for Brittney," he said. "I'm glad to be able to say Brittney is in good spirits. She's relieved to finally be heading home, and the fact remains that she's lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma. She deserves space, privacy and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained."
Biden said Griner's went through her trial in Russia and her time in detention with "grit and incredible integrity."
"She wrote to me back in July. She didn't ask for special treatment, even though we'd been working on her release from day one. She requested a simple, quote, "please don't forget about me and the other American detainees," he added.
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Biden: "Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones"
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters about the release of WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner by Russia, as Vice President Kamala Harris and Cherelle Griner listen, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington D.C, on December 8. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
President Joe Biden addressed the nation from the White House on Thursday morning on Brittney Griner's release.
"After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held in intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along," he said.
"This is a day we worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release. It took painstaking and intense negotiations," he added, thanking all those who involved in her release as well as the UAE, where the swap took place.
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This was "the only deal we could make right now," senior Biden administration official says
From CNN's MJ Lee
US President Joe Biden was "personally involved and in constant touch" with his team as this deal came together in the final days and after he gave his personal green light to execute the trade. The briefings - and questions Biden asked his team - were constant, a senior administration official says.
Senior administration official adds that this was the right deal to make - and notably, "the only deal we could make right now."
Biden "will speak to the importance of Brittney being brought home safely" in his remarks on Thursday morning, a White House official tells CNN,
He is also expected to address Paul Whelan, who remains imprisoned in Russia, and will reiterate the US "commitment to ensuring Paul Whelan comes home as well."
Contribution Betsy Klein
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NOW: Biden delivers remarks on Brittney Griner
From CNN's Betsy Klein, Kevin Liptak and Jennifer Hansler
US President Joe Biden is speaking now on the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner's release from Russian detention.
Griner was released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to a source familiar
Griner is now in the custody of US officials. Biden gave final approval for the prisoner swap in the past week, an official familiar with the matter said, and the president was updated on the swap as it was taking place this morning.
Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, is with the president at the White House, according to a source familiar.
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Viktor Bout has returned home, Russian state media reports
From CNN's Uliana Pavlova and Anna Chernova
Russia said on Thursday that Viktor Bout has returned home to Russia, according to state media RIA Novosti, citing the foreign ministry.
The prisoner exchange with WNBA star Brittney Griner was "completed successfully at Abu Dhabi Airport" on Thursday, state media added.
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Let's see, America got a basketball player that nobody has ever heard of until she was dumb enough to carry drugs into Russia, Russia got a dear friend of Putin who was convicted of selling arms to terrorists to kill Americans.
Who is dumb enough to think that this is a good deal?
Sure - let's let a U.S. Marine, who fought for our country, sit in a Russian prison while a "Sports Star" gets released.
President Joe Biden addressed the fact that the swap did not include another American who the State Department has declared wrongfully detained: Paul Whelan.
Man, where in the frick are this administration's priorities???
Optics, appearance over substance.
Nothing said about Marc Fogel either.
But hey, Griner checks all the boxes that this shit administration strives for.
unfortunately he’s just a marine, not a gay, black woman who plays basketball. Priorities!
Randi Weingarten :
What a great relief!!! Extraordinary news, a basketball star, but also a gay, black woman is released. And yes of course we want other prisoners like Paul Whelan released.
How convenient, three forms of bigotry all rolled into one.
ow convenient, three forms of bigotry all rolled into one.
Yes, surprising priorities from the head of the Teachers Union. Or maybe not that surprising given her racialist history. .
Seems to be the only reason some get jobs in Washington under this administration. Even if they aren't remotely qualified.
Or released from detention from Russia. Of course Griner actually broke their laws.
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Funny how Whelan didn't; and yet Griner is the one that Brandon is bringing home. In return for Putin's right and man the "Merchant of Death". Wonder how he earned that moniker?/S
Democrats want to claim this is a win for Brandon? It is a loss for the world; so the human fuck up machine does it again!
Not when people call white Cubans hateful and get 5 votes up.
You can personally guarantee that Whelan was up for negotiation with Putin? Have you spoken to Putin about Whelan recently?
Certainly not for the American people!
Imagine the freak out if trump freed a Russian warlord jailed for trying to kill Americans.
You have to wonder how many American lives, or any innocent lives for that matter will be lost so Biden could have a press win.
The Geriatric Joe Admiration is all ready over 100 just with the Afghanistan retreat.
He would have been immediately accused of colluding with Russia.
Liberal snowflakes types would have a total meltdown.
It would have been impeachment #3 for Democrats if Trump had done it.
Not that Trump would have been stupid enough to make the deal.
And only got 1 back in such a swap.
Some of the more disgusting comment threads I've seen here lately.
One [ Deleted ] guy says no one has ever heard of Britney Griner. True, except for the millions of sports fans who have.
For people who are interested in women's sports, Griner is very well known. Oddly, I thought conservatives had great concern and interest for womens sports, or so we are led to believe based on their outrage about trans athletes in female sports.
If Russia wanted to deal Paul Whelan at this point, they would have. If Russia offered the arms dealer for Whelan , the US would have done the deal. But thats not what happened. If you saw two people in a burning car, but only had time to get one of them out before the car exploded, would you say "since i cant save both of them i wont save either"? I hope not.
I dont have a lot of sympathy for Britney Griner, she needed to know better than to believe bringing a banned substance into Russia was a good idea. Frankly, people like Griner shouldnt even be going over there, period. It is a "do it at your own risk" situation.
Now we will be deluged with complaints that Griner, a lesbian , black, freakishly tall athlete who didnt stand for the national anthem has been rescued. This perspective is dripping a racist and homophobic mentality .
She’s a celebrity. Of course she deserves priority over a Marine. Imagine if Putin arrested a kardashian. We’d have to give back Alaska.
The seeder said no one has ever heard of her.
[deleted]
[deleted]
We've already seen what this administration thinks of U.S. Service members.
The policy had been to get the one held longest back first if possible. For what we were releasing we should have got both back.
She is only a celebrity because she broke another nations law and got caught.
Other than that she is just a basketball player.
Once again, can you personally guarantee that Putin was willing to trade Whelan for anyone? You seem to indicate that you personally know that Whelan could have been included in the trade.
But there aren't very many of those people. Fewer than 6k/game came out to see her play last season, in a city of 1.6 million.
She is most famous for being arrested in Russia with drugs.
We have no idea what was offered to whom by whom.
The optics are not good. Whether it's true or not, it definitely looks like she was made a priority because she checks all the traditional boxes to earn liberal affection. All we need now is for her to announce she's trans.
But as you say, she did this to herself. She's not wrongly accused. I've always said I support Biden or any president advocating for her release, but not at the cost of trading a convicted arms dealer.
She broke the law in Russia, period.
It is sickening that Brandon traded a real criminal responsible for so much death and destruction for her; because for whatever reason she is special and can't do the time. Wonder how much more pain The Merchant of Death will bring the rest of the planet now that he is free. I am sure he isn't holding any grudges against the US; and nothing will happen to our troops or people abroad.
As for Whelan. He is done with 4 years of a 16 year sentence. Only 12 more to go; and that is if they decide to release him once he serves his time. I am sure the news is Griner is going home instead of him will raise his spirits to no end./S
Let's all cheer Brandon the human fuck up machine! Making the world a better place every damn day!/S
The Biden admin said that if Russia wanted to deal Paul Whelan at this point, they would have.
Biden said the border is not a priority for him to visit.
Blind belief in the admin is only for those who choose not to see.
Always nice to get people freed, but can we stop going to Russia?
Griner was getting paid to play basketball there.
She should have learned the laws first; and obeyed them.
The fact that a real criminal responsible for so much death is free so she doesn't have to do the time for her crime in Russia is sickening.
As for not going to Russia. Anyone crazy or dumb enough to make the trip now with the relations between Russia and the US/NATO deserves what they get.
She knew the laws in Russia, this is not her first trip over there to play basketball. Her excuse was she was in a hurry when packing to go over and just forgot that she had the vape cartridges in her luggage. Typical, she didn't mean to do it just made a mistake. One quote I saw online earlier that fits this, will she now find it in her heart to stand for the national anthem? After all, it was the USA who made the deal to get her out of her self-inflicted hole.
Yup. There is nothing like the flavor of Russian jail time to cause one to reevaluate America.
I couldn't have said it better myself CNN.
The exchange of a US basketball star for a Russian arms dealer is a win for Putin,
Morning...hmmm interesting situation over there.. between the US and Ruskies..
Would be interesting to know what was the actual criteria for the release as it does seem a little lop sided.. Putin needs a basketball player like a hole in the head.
But Putin would be in great need of an arms dealer at the moment..no idea why..😁