USA frees ‘merchant of death’ in special prisoners collabo with Russia
By George Aluo, with agency reports
The US and Russia have exchanged jailed US basketball star Brittney Griner for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, held in an American prison for 12 years.
Both Griner and Bout have since arrived in US and Russia respectively riding in private aircrafts.
Bout on arrival told the Russian media how he was dramatically released…
“In the middle of the night they simply woke me up and said ‘Get your things together’ and that was it,” were his words.
Bout reportedly came down the aeroplane steps carrying a bouquet of flowers before embracing his mother and his wife.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possessing cannabis oil and last month she was sent to a penal colony.
The Biden administration proposed a prisoner exchange in July, aware Moscow had long sought Bout’s release.
