Basketball star brittney griner was freed in a prisoner exchange with russia for which convicted arms dealer?

In this combination image, a file photo of Yevgeny Prigozhin (L) and Viktor Bout, seen during the opening of an art exhibition in Moscow on March 7, 2023. Bout, who was serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison, was exchanged in Abu Dhabi for American basketball star Brittney Griner. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images He was sentenced in April 2012 after being convicted of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens and officials, selling millions of dollars of weapons to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, and aiding a terrorist organization. Bout has been described by the U.S. Justice Department as one of the most prolific arms dealers in the world. Local news outlets reported that Prigozhin visited a recruitment center for his paramilitary outfit, the Wagner Group. "It was a joint trip," Prigozhin said in an audio message on Telegram, praising Bout as the "smartest, most educated person." Bout, "over the many years he spent in an American prison, was engaged in self-education, learned many languages, including Farsi," said Prigozhin. "As for the Americans who released him from prison, of course, they made a big mistake, because he has such a sober attitude towards the existing situation in the Russian Federation that if he reveals his capabilities and implements his plans, then, of course, Russia will become much stronger, firmer, than there is today," he said. Evgeny Prigozhin, together with Viktor Bout, flew to Ulyanovsk Prigozhin added: "Therefore, I...

Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer nicknamed the "Merchant of Death," was freed from U.S. custody in exchange for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, as part of a high-level prisoner swap on Thursday. Bout, a 55-year-old former Soviet military officer, was serving a 25-year sentence in the United States. He was convicted of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens and officials, of selling millions of dollars of weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and aiding a terrorist organization. Viktor Bout (R) walks past temporary cells ahead of a hearing at the Criminal Court in Bangkok on August 20, 2010. Bout was freed on Thursday in exchange for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, as part of a high-level prisoner swap. CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images Bout, born in then-Soviet ruled Tajikistan, has maintained his innocence, claiming he was a businessman working in international transport. The Kremlin has long called for his release, calling his sentencing in April 2012 "baseless and biased" and accusing the U.S. of targeting him for political reasons. He was arrested in 2008 after a sting operation led by U.S. drug enforcement agents in Thailand in which they posed as potential buyers from the FARC. Bout's extradition was ordered by then-U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Eric John and subsequently mandated by the Thai High Court. Bout has been described by the Justice Department as one of the most prolific arms dealers in the world. His links to the arms tr...

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April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Griner and her wife Cherelle said on Instagram that "our hearts are filled with great concern" for The Kremlin says Gershkovich was using journalism as a cover for spying activity - something his newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, has vehemently denied. Russia has not made public any evidence to support the charges, under which Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in jail. The White House has described the accusations as "ridiculous" and The Griners said they were grateful for Biden's "deep commitment to rescue Americans". They cited the cases of aid worker The couple added, "we call on all of our supporters to both celebrate the wins and encourage the administration to continue to use every tool possible to bring Evan and all wrongfully detained Americans home". Brittney Griner, a WNBA star and double Olympic gold medallist who played for a Russian team in the off-season, was arrested at a Moscow airport one week before Russia invaded Ukraine last year. She was found with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony after being convicted on drug smuggling and possession charges, a verdict that Biden called "unacceptable". She was freed in December in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who spent 14 years in jail in the United States for arms trafficking, money laundering and conspiring to kill Americans. About Reuters • About Reuters , opens new tab • Careers , opens ...

WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed Thursday from Russian custody in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange, with the U.S. releasing notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout. President Joe Biden, who signed off on the trade, confirmed during a morning news conference that Griner landed in the United Arab Emirates and was expected to be on U.S. soil in the next 24 hours. Biden, standing next to Griner's wife Cherelle Griner, said they spoke to the basketball star by phone and she appeared in "good spirits." "She's safe, she's on a plane, she's on her way home after months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held in intolerable circumstances," Biden said. "Britney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along." Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home. In her brief remarks, Cherelle Griner thanked the Biden administration for their efforts in securing her wife's release, saying she's "overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion I'm feeling right now is gratitude." The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine , achieved a top goal for President Biden , but carried a heavy price — and left behind Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed for nearly four years in Russia on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless. Biden said the U.S. hasn't given up on Whealan and "we'll never give up" fighting to get him ...

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If you click ' Accept all', we and • display personalised ads and content based on interest profiles • measure the effectiveness of personalised ads and content, and • develop and improve our products and services If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click ' Reject all'. If you would like to customise your choices, click ' Manage privacy settings'. You can change your choices at any time by clicking on the 'Privacy & cookie settings' or 'Privacy dashboard' links on our sites and apps. Find out more about how we use your personal data in our

April 2 (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Griner and her wife Cherelle said on Instagram that "our hearts are filled with great concern" for The Kremlin says Gershkovich was using journalism as a cover for spying activity - something his newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, has vehemently denied. Russia has not made public any evidence to support the charges, under which Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in jail. The White House has described the accusations as "ridiculous" and The Griners said they were grateful for Biden's "deep commitment to rescue Americans". They cited the cases of aid worker The couple added, "we call on all of our supporters to both celebrate the wins and encourage the administration to continue to use every tool possible to bring Evan and all wrongfully detained Americans home". Brittney Griner, a WNBA star and double Olympic gold medallist who played for a Russian team in the off-season, was arrested at a Moscow airport one week before Russia invaded Ukraine last year. She was found with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony after being convicted on drug smuggling and possession charges, a verdict that Biden called "unacceptable". She was freed in December in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who spent 14 years in jail in the United States for arms trafficking, money laundering and conspiring to kill Americans. About Reuters • About Reuters , opens new tab • Careers , opens ...

In this combination image, a file photo of Yevgeny Prigozhin (L) and Viktor Bout, seen during the opening of an art exhibition in Moscow on March 7, 2023. Bout, who was serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison, was exchanged in Abu Dhabi for American basketball star Brittney Griner. ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images He was sentenced in April 2012 after being convicted of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens and officials, selling millions of dollars of weapons to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, and aiding a terrorist organization. Bout has been described by the U.S. Justice Department as one of the most prolific arms dealers in the world. Local news outlets reported that Prigozhin visited a recruitment center for his paramilitary outfit, the Wagner Group. "It was a joint trip," Prigozhin said in an audio message on Telegram, praising Bout as the "smartest, most educated person." Bout, "over the many years he spent in an American prison, was engaged in self-education, learned many languages, including Farsi," said Prigozhin. "As for the Americans who released him from prison, of course, they made a big mistake, because he has such a sober attitude towards the existing situation in the Russian Federation that if he reveals his capabilities and implements his plans, then, of course, Russia will become much stronger, firmer, than there is today," he said. Evgeny Prigozhin, together with Viktor Bout, flew to Ulyanovsk Prigozhin added: "Therefore, I...