Brittney Griner lands in US after prisoner swap with Russia - BBC

Ten months aft she near the US to play hoops successful Russia, WNBA prima Brittney Griner has landed successful her location authorities of Texas.

Griner was jailed for carrying cannabis lipid astatine a Moscow airdrome successful February, and was exchanged for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout connected Thursday.

She was flown into San Antonio, wherever she volition person aesculapian care.

The White House's John Kirby told MSNBC connected Friday greeting that Griner is successful "good spirits" and "good health".

President Joe Biden archetypal announced that Griner was returning location connected Thursday. Her wife, Cherelle Griner, who attended Mr Biden's announcement astatine the White House, was expected to conscionable her successful San Antonio.

"Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable concern and we're thrilled that she is connected her mode location to her household and friends," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said successful a connection astir her return.

Griner was arrested successful February - conscionable days earlier Russia invaded Ukraine.

She is 1 of the best-known sportswomen successful America. During the US hoops play the treble Olympic champion was a prima centre for Phoenix Mercury successful the WNBA.

Her crushed for flying to Moscow was to play successful Russia during the off-season successful the US. During her proceedings successful Russia, she said the cannabis lipid recovered successful her container had been an "honest mistake".

The Biden medication projected a captive speech successful July, alert that Moscow had agelong sought the merchandise of Bout, a convicted arms trafficker known arsenic the Merchant of Death. He has been held successful an American situation for 12 years.

Footage connected Russian authorities media showed them crossing connected the tarmac with their respective teams. In the video, seemingly provided by Russian information services, Bout was warmly greeted by 2 Russian officials arsenic Griner, who is 6ft 9in (206cm), looks on. Part of the swap was past edited out, earlier showing the 2 parties going their abstracted ways.

"The Russian national has been returned to his homeland," the Moscow overseas ministry said successful a statement.

Live tv successful Russia showed Bout arriving successful Moscow. Pictures showed him hugging his parent and woman astatine the airdrome tarmac.

"I made it. That's the main thing," helium told reporters astatine the airport.

"In the mediate of the nighttime they simply woke maine up and said 'Get your things together,'" helium added.

Griner, who turned 32 successful October, volition beryllium welcomed successful Houston with a airy show, the city's Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

In a tweet, the US peculiar envoy for hostage affairs, Roger D Carstens, welcomed Griner home. "So blessed to person Brittney backmost connected US soil," helium said.

It is unclear however agelong she volition stay successful San Antonio earlier travelling to Houston, which is astir 200 miles (320km) to the east.

An unnamed US official, speaking connected information of anonymity, said that Griner was expected to person attraction astatine the Brooke Army Medical Center successful San Antonio.

It is thought she volition articulation the Department of Defense programme known arsenic Pisa (Post Isolation Support Activities), which is reportedly designed to assistance erstwhile detainees accommodate backmost to mean life.

On Thursday, authorities section spokesperson Ned Price said the authorities would talk to Griner astir what she needs.

"She whitethorn question the assistance that the US is going to provide, and we are going to marque each of that disposable to her," helium told MSNBC.

Several Republicans criticised the White House for agreeing to the deal.

"What a 'stupid' and unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA!!!" erstwhile President Donald Trump wrote connected his Truth Social website.

"This is simply a acquisition to Vladimir Putin, and it endangers American lives."

And Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger - a precocious illustration professional of Mr Trump's - wrote connected Twitter that the Biden medication had shown "weakness" by agreeing to merchandise Bout.

The swap progressive 2 backstage planes bringing Bout and Griner to Abu Dhabi airdrome from Moscow and Washington, earlier flying them home.

When negotiations began to unafraid Griner's merchandise during the summer, the US said it had made wide it wanted ex-Marine Paul Whelan to beryllium included successful an exchange.

On Friday, Russian president Vladimir Putin said astatine a quality league that aboriginal captive swaps betwixt Russia and the US were possible, and that the 2 countries' quality services stay successful contact.

But Whelan, jailed successful 2018 connected suspicion of spying, was not included successful Thursday's swap, dashing his family's hopes.

In a telephone telephone from the penal colony wherever helium is being held, Whelan told CNN helium was "greatly disappointed" much had not been done to escaped him, arsenic helium said helium had carried retired nary crime.

"I don't recognize wherefore I'm inactive sitting here," helium said. "I was led to judge that things were moving successful the close direction, and that the governments were negotiating and that thing would hap reasonably soon."

Mr Carstens told Whelan successful a tweet to "stay beardown and don't suffer faith".

"We are moving to get you home," the peculiar envoy said.

Republican person Kevin McCarthy, who is expected to go the adjacent Speaker of the House of Representatives wrote connected Twitter that failing to unafraid Whelan's merchandise arsenic portion of the woody was "unconscionable".

Viktor Bout sold arms to warlords and rogue governments, becoming 1 of the world's astir wanted men. His exploits inspired the 2005 Hollywood movie Lord of War.

His secretive vocation was brought to an extremity by an elaborate US sting successful 2008, erstwhile helium was arrested astatine a edifice successful the Thai superior Bangkok, to the choler of the Russian government.

He was extradited 2 years aboriginal and has spent the past 12 years successful an American jailhouse for conspiring to enactment terrorists and termination Americans.

Footage released by Russian authorities media showed him disembarking from his formation carrying a bouquet of flowers earlier embracing his parent and his wife.

Speaking aft her husband's instrumentality home, Bout's woman Alla told the authorities quality bureau Tass that her hubby was well-fed and "treated precise nobly" during the captive swap.

"He was not shackled, not handcuffed, helium was treated precise generously," she said.