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After ten months away from home, Brittney Griner is back on American soil after being detained by Russian authorities in February 2022. As reported by CNN, United States officials met Griner on Friday, December 9, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
According to the publication, the National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said she was “in good spirits” and “incredibly gracious.” Griner’s plane landed early morning, with her stepping off the aircraft after 5:30 a.m. ET at Kelly Field.
The 32-year-old basketball player, serving time on narcotic charges, was released in exchange for another prisoner, as reported by CBS News. According to the news publication, President Joe Biden signed off on the trade, which took place in the United Arab Emirates.
“Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home,” the United States President wrote alongside snaps of himself, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Griner’s wife, Cherelle.
“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.
After her release
Brittney Griner’s family has issued a statement addressing her release. “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 for remaining in constant communication with us,” the statement reads.
“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,” they added.
Why Brittney Griner was detained?
According to reports from The New York Times, the Phoenix Mercury player was detained after customs officials detected cannabis oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow.
USA Basketball, the governing body for sport in the United States, said in a statement it is “aware of and closely monitoring the legal situation facing Brittney Griner in Russia.”