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☆ Bill Richardson, the former New Mexico governor and UN ambassador just nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work to free political prisoners, has died at 75
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Bill Richardson, the former two-term New Mexico governor and veteran diplomat, has died at 75. Richardson served as ambassador to the UN and Energy Secretary under President Bill Clinton. Last month, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize over his work to free political prisoners. In 2002, Richardson was elected to the New Mexico governorship and won reelection in a landslide in 2006. AdvertisementAdvertisementIn August 2023, Richardson was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work to secure freedom for political hostages in foreign countries.

Persons: Bill Richardson, Richardson, Bill Clinton, Mickey Bergman, Bergman, Bill Clinton's, Sen, Barack Obama, Brittney Griner, Cherelle Griner Organizations: UN, Energy, Service, United Nations, Richardson Center, Global, Richardson, Democratic, Illinois Locations: Mexico, Wall, Silicon, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Russia

REUTERS/Andrew KellyNEW YORK, May 1 (Reuters) - American basketball star Brittney Griner stepped onto the red carpet at the star-studded Met Gala on Monday, embracing a larger spotlight months after returning home from detention in a Russian penal colony. The twice Olympic champion has pledged to advocate for the release of other Americans detained abroad after she was freed from Russia in a high-profile prisoner exchange after nearly 10 months of detention. "I was able to come home," Griner told Vogue at the gala. "It is everything, to be here with my wife able to be here it means so much," Griner said. Twenty-times Grand Slam winner Roger Federer served as a co-chair of the event while China's twice Olympic champion freestyle skier Eileen Gu was also in attendance.

☆ Brittney Griner Urges Biden Administration to Use ‘Every Tool’ to Free Evan Gershkovich
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( Suzanne Vranica | Ann M. Simmons | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cherelle Griner, left, and Brittney Griner at the NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, Calif., this year. On social media this weekend the two called on supporters to encourage the Biden administration to bring all wrongfully detained Americans home. U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, who was released by Russia from a penal colony last year, called on the Biden administration to use “every tool” to bring home Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. “Every American who is taken is ours to fight for and every American returned is a win for us all,” said Ms. Griner, the WNBA star and two-time Olympian who was released in a high-profile prisoner swap after being jailed in Russia for most of last year.

☆ Brittney Griner urges Biden to bring home reporter Gershkovich
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who was detained in Russia, speaks next to her wife, Cherelle Griner, during the 54th NAACP Image Awards in Pasadena, California, U.S., February 25, 2023. 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 President Joe Biden has called on Moscow to release him. 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.

☆ Brittney Griner makes appearance at Phoenix MLK Day march
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Brittney Griner made a surprise appearance at an MLK Day march in Phoenix, Arizona, on Monday, just weeks after her release from a Russian penal colony. The WNBA star surprised a group who had gathered for the march on what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.'s 94th birthday, attending the event with her wife, Cherelle Griner. Griner, 32, posed for photos with fans and was pictured riding on the back of a golf cart at the event. The Phoenix Mercury star said she was happy to be home after being detained in Russia for nearly a year, NBC affiliate KPNX, which is based in Phoenix, reported. The WNBA star was sentenced to nine years in prison for allegedly possessing the vape cartridges, which she said had been unintentional.

Black women played a critical role in securing Griner’s release, advocates say. “It was painful for so many, particularly Black women, to see another Black woman be in those harsh conditions, to just see the pain in her face,” Jotaka Eaddy, founder of Win With Black Women, told The Hill. The Win With Black Women collective received 1,200 signatures of women in a letter of support for Griner that they sent to the Biden administration in July. So the idea was to keep the awareness going and build a coalition.”Griner’s case has renewed conversations about the vulnerability of Black women in America, especially Black queer women. Monica Simpson, the executive director of SisterSong, highlighted this vulnerability, and Black women’s collective power, in a statement to NBC News.

☆ The twin brother of Paul Whelan said Trump was 'not interested' in cases of wrongfully detained Americans: 'Biden administration is much more engaged'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Taylor Ardrey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Paul Whelan's brother says Trump was not "interested" in his brother's detainment in Russia. David Whelan told MSNBC that Biden is "more engaged in wrongful detentions." Following the news of the prison swap, Trump criticized Biden for exchanging "a basketball player who openly hates our country," referring to Griner, and questioned why Paul Whelan was not included. In an Instagram post on Saturday thanking the Biden administration and others for her wife's release, Cherelle Griner called for the release of Paul Whelan as well as other Americans detained abroad. During the interview with MSNBC, David Whelan said that his brother was " tremendously disappointed" when he learned he wasn't coming home.

☆ Russian arms dealer says he wished Griner good luck at prisoner exchange
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 10 (Reuters) - Viktor Bout, the arms dealer freed in a prisoner swap for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner, said he wished her good luck on the tarmac in Abu Dhabi where they were exchanged. "I wished her luck, she even sort of reached out her hand to me," Bout said on Saturday in an interview with Russian state-controlled broadcaster RT. You should wish everyone good fortune and happiness," he said, adding that he believed Griner "was positively inclined" towards him. Asked about Russia's military campaign in Ukraine, Bout said he wished that Moscow had been able to launch it sooner. "If I had the chance and the required skills, I'd join up as a volunteer," he said.

WNBA star Brittney Griner arrived back in the United States early Friday after being freed from Russian custody, bringing a nearly yearlong ordeal to an end. Eric Gay / APIn earlier video, Russian media had showed Griner crossing paths with Bout after walking off a Russian plane in Abu Dhabi, where she was met by a U.S. official during the exchange. President Joe Biden, who said he approved the deal that saw Griner freed, said Thursday that she had been "held under intolerable circumstances." In a written statement Thursday night, the Griner family thanked Biden, his administration and others for their efforts. Whelan’s family said they had been told by the Biden administration in advance that he would not be part of the prisoner swap Thursday that freed Griner.

Biden had been hopeful that Russian President Vladimir Putin would be more apt to free Griner once America’s midterm elections were done, a calculation that proved correct. Still detained in Russia is Paul Whelan, a businessman whom the White House has also been working to free without success. In a 2012 interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” when he was vice president, Biden came out in favor of same-sex marriage, and he is expected to sign the measure into law. White House officials acknowledged the headwinds and worried that the midterm elections would be a repudiation of Biden’s record. “When I look at what the Biden White House has done, I think experience and patience really paid off,” said Jennifer Palmieri, who served as White House communications director during the Obama administration.

"Grateful for the long-overdue release of Brittney Griner today from Russian custody. "Thank you to every single person that kept Brittney Griner’s name alive #WEAREBG," tweeted one of her Phoenix Mercury teammates, Brianna Turner. The Biden administration wasn't able to secure Whelan's release because the Russian government is treating his case differently than Griner's, Biden said. “While we celebrate Brittney’s release, Paul Whelan and his family continue to suffer needlessly,” Blinken said. Share this -Link copiedWho is Viktor Bout, Russian arms dealer that the U.S. exchanged for Brittney Griner?

☆ Brittney Griner prisoner swap a rare diplomatic success between U.S. and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner and arms dealer Viktor Bout was a rare moment of successful diplomacy between Moscow and Washington as relations between the two countries deteriorate over the war in Ukraine. For many, the trade will evoke memories of Soviet-era spy swaps — a more positive reminder of that era than the nuclear standoff that President Joe Biden recently said left the world facing its most dangerous moment since the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Biden speaks with with Brittney Griner on the phone, accompanied by Cherelle Griner at the Oval Office on Thursday. One of the most well known Cold War swaps involved American pilot Francis Gary Powers, whose U-2 spy plane was shot down in 1960 over the Soviet Union. Powers was traded two years later for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel, in an exchange on a fog-shrouded bridge between West Berlin and East Germany.

And a catastrophe for Paul," David Whelan said. The Whelan family was similarly frustrated in April, when another former Marine held in Russia, Trevor Reed, was released in a prisoner exchange. David Whelan said that at the time, they were not warned that his brother was not included in the swap. "Paul Whelan has been let down and left behind at least three times by 2 Presidents," the group said in a statement. David Whelan added that his parents are in their 80s, and it will be another Christmas without their son since he was detained four years ago.

☆ WNBA star Brittney Griner released from Russian custody in a high-profile prisoner swap between the U.S. and Moscow
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms | Andrea Mitchell | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

WASHINGTON — WNBA star Brittney Griner is free Thursday after the Biden administration negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony in exchange for an arms dealer, according to a senior administration official. People familiar with the negotiations for his release say the Russians refused to release Whelan without getting a Russian spy in return. The entrance to the Russian penal colony IK-2 on Nov. 19, 2022, where Griner began serving her sentence. The Biden administration has faced tremendous pressure to help bring home the 6-foot-9 Houston native. Alexander Zemlianichenko / AP fileGriner’s release is the second publicly known U.S. prisoner swap with Russia since the war in Ukraine started.

☆ Brittney Griner live updates: WNBA star released from Russia in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Tom_Winter_Nbc_News.Jpg | Zoë Richards | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Biden criticized Russia for “treating Paul’s case differently” than Griner’s and said that negotiations are ongoing. Biden’s administration had sought the release of both Griner and Paul Whelan. Griner’s release also marks a stunning turn of events from last month, when she began serving a nine-year sentence at a Russian penal colony more than 200 miles east of Moscow. The Whalen family has publicly criticized the Biden administration for not doing more to secure his release. People familiar with the negotiations for his release say the Russians refused to release Whelan without getting a Russian spy in return.

By the time Cherelle Griner arrived at the White House, it was clear Brittney Griner was on the verge of being released. As Cherelle Griner waited to meet with Sullivan, however, a change in venue signaled what was about to happen. Biden delivered the first official confirmation that Brittney Griner was on her way home, something he’d told aides he wanted to do himself. Shortly after, advisers delivered the official notification to Biden and Cherelle Griner: Brittany Griner was secure and in the hands of US officials. Biden then brought Cherelle Griner to a chair set up next to his at the Resolute Desk.

☆ Biden administration brings WNBA star Brittany Griner home for the holidays after 10 months in Russian custody
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Biden administration is bringing WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for 10 months, home for the holidays after months of negotiation. "She is safe, she is on a plane, she is on her way home," U.S. President Joe Biden announced Thursday. Cherelle Griner was present and able to speak with Brittney when Biden made the call from the Oval Office. Notably absent from the swap was another American detained in Russia, Paul Whelan, who has been in Russian custody since 2018. "We've not forgotten about Paul Whelan," Biden said.

With winter approaching at the penal colony where Griner was being held, Biden faced a singularly presidential decision. Griner’s wife, who arrived in Washington on Wednesday, was invited to an early morning meeting at the White House set for Thursday. Cherelle Griner waited at the White House for a short period of time before it became clear the planned meeting with Sullivan had shifted. The White House described her suffering “intolerable circumstances” during her detention. At the White House, Biden met with Griner’s wife for the first time to show her the letter he was sending in response.

☆ Saudi Arabia did not mediate in Griner release, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and Cherelle Griner speak on the phone with WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner after her release by Russia, in this White House handout photo taken in the Oval Office, as Vice President Kamala Harris and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken look on, at the White House in Washington, U.S. December 8, 2022. The White House/Handout via REUTERSWASHINGTON, Dec 8 (Reuters) - The release of basketball star player Brittney Griner was negotiated between the United States and Russia only, the White House said on Thursday, denying a Saudi Arabia statement that it was involved. "The only countries that negotiated this deal were the United States and Russia," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, when asked about Saudi Arabia's role. Griner was exchanged for Viktor Bout, a onetime Russian weapons dealer who had been convicted in the United States and imprisoned for 10 years. “We are also grateful to other countries including Saudi Arabia” that raised the issue of detained Americans with the Russian government, she said.

US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty ImagesWNBA star Brittney Griner is free Thursday after the Biden administration negotiated her release from a Russian penal colony in exchange for an arms dealer, according to a senior administration official. Maxim Shemetov | ReutersGriner will be flown to a medical facility in San Antonio where she will receive care, a senior administration official said. Cherelle Griner, will meet her there, according to a senior administration official. People familiar with the negotiations for his release say the Russians refused to release Whelan without getting a Russian spy in return.

☆ Biden hopes Putin will be more open to negotiating Brittney Griner's release now midterms are over
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Biden said he hopes Putin will be willing to talk about freeing Brittney Griner with midterms over. He said he hopes Putin will "be willing to talk more seriously about a prisoner exchange." Griner's appeal to her nine-year sentence was rejected, and she has been sent to a penal colony. Biden has publicly spoken about trying to release Griner multiple times. Earlier this week Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, said she was worried about the basketball star's mental health.

☆ Brittney Griner met with US officials in Russia for the first time since her appeal was denied
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US officials were able to meet with Brittney Griner in person Thursday for the first time in weeks. "[US Russian embassy officials] visited Brittney Griner today," Price tweeted. Griner was in Russia to play with the Russian Premier League during the WNBA off-season. "We continue to press for the immediate release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan and fair treatment for every detained American," Price tweeted after the Thursday meeting. Cherelle Griner told co-hosts of "The View" on Tuesday.

The wife of detained basketball star Brittney Griner said Tuesday that she fears for her wife's mental health and that the decorated player's "mind is fading" in Russian custody. Cherelle Griner said she last spoke with her wife in mid-October as she described her struggles to overcome the mental hardships of Russian imprisonment. Cherelle Griner said Tuesday on ABC's "The View." But this is just absurd," Cherelle Griner told the panel of "The View." Cherelle Griner said her only hope now is for the White House and the Kremlin to agree to a prisoner swap.

A Russian appeals court is due on Tuesday to hear the case of WNBA star Brittney Griner, sentenced to nine years in prison in what the United States has called a wrongful detention. Griner, 32, “is quite pessimistic about the outcome” of the appeal, one of her attorneys, Maria Blagovolina, said Monday on MSNBC. Medical cannabis is illegal in Russia, but it is legal in most of the U.S.United States officials say Griner is being wrongfully detained. “It is our goal to see them home as soon as we can.”Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, has said that Brittney Griner is being held hostage. When she was detained, Griner had been in Russia to play for a Russian Premier League women’s team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, which she had since 2014.

CNN —Brittney Griner is appealing her verdict in Russian court Tuesday, nearly three months after the US basketball star was convicted of smuggling drugs into the country and sentenced to nine years in prison. Griner’s appeal will be considered in the Moscow Regional Court in a hearing at which her attorneys are expected to argue the verdict was unfair and unjustified under Russian law, they told CNN. The court hearing the appeal can choose to leave Griner’s verdict in place, overrule it and send it back to the lower court, or reduce Griner’s prison term, they said. “Brittney is very strong person and has a champion’s character,” Blagovolina and Boykov told CNN in a written statement ahead of Griner’s appeal. “However, she of course has her highs and lows as she is severely stressed being separated from her loved ones for over eight months.”“She is very nervous waiting for the appeal hearing,” they added.

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