Brittney Griner is free from all the charges now and her family is healing from past situation
After Brittney Griner was released from Russian prison on Thursday, her family released a statement.
The 32-year-old two-time Olympic basketball champion was detained on February 17 after landing in Moscow from New York City on suspicion of having cannabis oil in her luggage. After a trial lasting several weeks, she was given a nine-year term.
Following the verdict, the Biden administration made a prisoner swap offer to Russia on July 27 in order to free Griner and a U.S. citizen named Paul Whelan. Marine detained since 2018 on suspicion of spying.
Viktor Bout, a Russian prisoner in the US who had been convicted of arms trafficking and was serving a 25-year term, was the subject of the negotiations in return for the Americans.
Griner's family commended the Biden administration for the successful exchange and offered assistance to Whelan's family as Whelan stayed in Russia after the arrangement.
"We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to President Biden and his administration for the tireless work they did to bring Brittney home. We would also like to extend a special thank you to Governor Richardson and Mickey Bergman of the Richardson Center for their work, as well as remaining in constant communication with us," the statement reads.
Asking for privacy as the family "embark on this road to healing," the statement says: "We sincerely thank you all for the kind words, thoughts and prayers - including Paul and the Whelan family who have been generous with their support for Brittney and our family during what we know is a heartbreaking time. We pray for Paul and for the swift and safe return of all wrongfully-detained Americans."