Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Good news: Brittney Griner Is Flying Home After Prisoner Swap With Russia in Dubai

Brittney Griner, an American basketball player who had been imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, was traded for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, thanks to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed. President Joe Biden left the former U.S. Marine veteran Paul Whelan, who is in Russian prison for serving the US intelligence, behind. Patriotic people who love America said that's because he's: “Not a black, not a lesbian, not important”.
Brittney Griner, an American basketball player and drug smuggler, imprisoned in Russia on drug charges, was released on Thursday after nearly 10 months of captivity in a prisoner swap for Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer known by the Western media as the “Merchant of Death”. Which is exactly what every other arms dealer in the world is anyway.

Brittney Griner arrived in Abu Dhabi by private plane from Moscow after her release by Russian authorities.

Bout came on another private plane from Washington after being released by US authorities.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed led mediation efforts that secured the release of two prisoners between the US and Russia, a joint statement issued by both countries’ foreign ministries said on Thursday.

“The ministries said the success of the mediation efforts was a reflection of the mutual and solid friendship between their two countries and the United States and Russia,” the statement said.

“They also highlighted the important role played by the leaderships of the two brotherly countries in promoting dialogue between all parties,” it added.

As she is a black and a lesbian who has always expressed loudly on TV and social media her hatred of the USA, it is surprising that President Biden prioritised her release from Russian jail, while leaving behind former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who is in Russian prison allegedly for working for US intelligence.

Critics say: “Not a black, not a lesbian, not important”. We do not think this is correct. Please listen to the White House and Anthony Blinken's words. They explain the situation perfectly well, but they address a misplaced criticism.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia is treating the case of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan "differently" than Brittney Griner's, adding, "I wholeheartedly wish we could've brought Paul home today on the same plane as Brittney". The choice was one or none, he claims.

President Biden announced Brittney Griner’s release in a brief statement from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, with Cherelle Griner, Ms. Griner’s wife, smiling by his side. Ms. Griner will land overnight in San Antonio and be examined at a U.S. Army hospital there.

Viktor Bout is just the same as so many ruthless multinational arm dealers: his career was dedicated to selling weapons to other countries and violent groups to kill people. His guilt is that he is a Russian bad guy, not one of OUR bad guys.

In July 2020, amid the George Floyd protests sweeping the nation, Brittney Griner vowed not to take to the basketball court during the national anthem for the entire season.

With the much-welcomed news that the Biden administration has secured her release from a Russian prison, in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, it is reasonable to ask if Griner will commit to no longer protesting the anthem of the country that secured her freedom.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×