The US Basketball player was exchanged for a Both Merchant
Before the exchange procedure and Griner (it was accused of drug smuggling - ed. ) And but was pardoned. This means that they should not serve part of their sentence at home. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation noted that the procedure of exchange of Russian Viktor But for US citizen Britney Griner successfully ended at the Abu Dhabi Airport (the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the Abu Dhabi Emirate,-ed. ).
The department also complained that the official Washington categorically refused the dialogue to include Russian Viktor But in the exchange scheme, but the Russian Federation continued this work. For his part, US President Joe Biden said the United States had intense negotiations with the Russian Federation. Immediately after the exchange, the American leader spoke through a phone with Griner released in Russian Federation, she is on the way in the United States.
Russian Victor Booth is now on the way in the Russian Federation and will be in the country in the near future. By the way, the exchange of prisoners between the Russian Federation and the United States did not apply to the convicted person for espionage Paul Wilan, CNN reports. It was detained on the territory of the Russian Federation in 2018. Vilan's brother stated that US authorities have informed the family in advance that it would not be included in the list for exchange.
Recall that in August, American basketball player Britney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in prison in the Russian Federation. It was found guilty of drug smuggling. Focus also wrote that Victor But was detained in Bangkok in March 2008 as a result of the operation of the US special services and was later extracted to the United States, where he was accused of illegal supplies of weapons to Afghanistan, Angola, Liberia, Rwanda and other countries.