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☆ Who is Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer swapped for Griner?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Felix Light | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Suspected Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout is escorted by members of a special police unit after a hearing at a criminal court in Bangkok October 5, 2010. Russia got the jailed arms dealer back from the United States on Thursday after exchanging imprisoned U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for him at Abu Dhabi airport. His notoriety was such that his life helped inspire a Hollywood film, 2005’s Lord of War, starring Nicolas Cage as Yuri Orlov, an arms dealer loosely based on Bout. For some experts, the Russian state's continued interest in Bout, plus his skills and connections in the international arms trade, hint strongly at Russian intelligence ties. “His case has become totemic for the Russian intelligence services, who are keen to show that they don’t abandon their own people,” Galeotti added.

☆ Paul Whelan tells CNN he is 'disappointed' that more has not been done to secure his release
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Washington CNN —Detained American Paul Whelan expressed his frustration that more has not been done to secure his release in an exclusive CNN interview hours after another detained American, Brittney Griner, was freed. It was a choice between bringing home one particular American – Brittney Griner – or bringing home none,” a US senior administration official said Thursday morning. Elizabeth Whelan said she believes the Russians wanted to deny Biden a win by releasing both of the American wrongful detainees. Elizabeth Whelan also told CNN that she does not believe her brother knows the extent of the efforts to free him, noting the family has to be careful what they tell him because they assume the Russian authorities are listening. Asked if he thought he would face repercussions for speaking to CNN, Whelan said he didn’t think so.

☆ 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.

☆ The US is creating a carbon-offset plan for corporations that would fund developing countries' moves to clean energy
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The plan would create revenue to fund developing countries' moves toward clean energy. "This is a critical tool that will supplement, not replace, other sources of climate finance." The US will also consult with organizations that are trying to improve the scientific integrity of carbon credits. "Buying emissions reductions from developing countries is not the same thing as channeling climate finance and raises questions about who can count the reductions." African nations unveiled their own carbon-market initiative Tuesday, with an aim to supply 300 million carbon credits each year by 2030 and raise up to $6 billion.

☆ 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.

☆ Putin aide says Russia is not prioritizing the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A close aide to Vladimir Putin said that Brittney Griner's release is not Russia's "main issue." The aide also said that he didn't believe US President Joe Biden is prioritizing her release. Griner has been wrongfully detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges for the last eight months. Biden has spoken about Griner's release in public on multiple occasions and met with her family in September, after writing the basketball star a letter in July. "But, for example, if he came to me at the G20 and said, 'I want to talk about the release of Griner,' I would meet with him."

☆ Brittney Griner's wife says she doesn't know if the WNBA star 'has anything left in her tank'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-06 | by ( Julianne Mcshane | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Cherelle Griner said her wife, WNBA star Brittney Griner, is being held "hostage" in her first interview since a Russian court sentenced the basketball player to nine years in prison for drug possession in August. "On its face it just seems like my wife is a hostage," Cherelle Griner told "CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. On that call, Cherelle said, she didn't know if Brittney "has anything left in her tank to continue to wake up every day and be in a place where she has no one." Ahead of her Oct. 25 hearing, Cherelle said Brittney is "at her absolute weakest moment in life now." Brittney Griner, who came to my country for seven, eight years, and helped my country be recognized through sport, paid taxes in my country, helped my country.

☆ U.S. women skip jersey number 15 at World Cup to honour Griner
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Basketball - Women - Gold medal match - United States v Japan - Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan - August 8, 2021. Griner, who wore the number 15 in international competition, helped the United States collect two of their 10 gold medals in the quadrennial tournament, which takes place in Sydney this year. "USA Basketball continues to keep BG in our thoughts as we take the court in Sydney. U.S. President Joe Biden met with the WNBA star's wife, Cherelle Griner, last week and has called the judgment against Griner "unacceptable". The United States said in July it put forth a "substantial offer" for the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

Biden sat down in the Oval Office with Cherelle Griner, wife of women's basketball star Brittney Griner, and Elizabeth Whelan, sister of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. Biden conducted the separate meetings to assure the families that the detainees "are at front of mind," said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. The United States in late July said it has put forward a "substantial offer" to secure the release of the two Americans. Last month, Russia's foreign ministry said it was engaged in "quiet diplomacy" with the United States about a potential prisoner swap that could include Griner and Whelan. Washington has offered to exchange Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and Whelan, sources familiar with the situation have told Reuters.

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