Brittney Griner has finally been released from the IK-2 penal colony in Russia. The WNBA star who was stuck in Russia for over nine months is on her way home currently. The State Department finalized a one-for-one prisoner swap deal with Russia on Thursday to secure Griner’s release.
President Joe Biden agreed to release the convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as a part of the prisoner swap deal. Thus, the massive news for Brittney Griner has led her fans and several celebrities to express their happiness on Twitter.
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Further, the prisoner swap took place on December 8 in the United Arab Emirates after the two countries agreed on the revised deal. President Joe Biden recently broke the news to the country with a Twitter post.
Meanwhile, the President revealed that Brittney Griner is already on her way home. He claimed to have spoken with the WNBA star on the phone and confirmed her safety. Notably, while Christmas is around the corner, there can not be a better gift than this news for the entire United States.
Hillary Clinton & Zendaya join millions in celebrating Brittney Garner’s release
In her recent tweet, Hillary Clinton thanked President Biden for making the Griner release happen. She wrote, “Brittney Griner is home. Just incredibly good news. Thank you to President Biden and everyone in the administration who made this happen, as well as the advocates who pushed it.”
Brittney Griner is coming home.
Just incredibly good news.
Thank you to President Biden and everyone in the administration who made this happen, as well as the advocates who pushed for it. https://t.co/xwAIyArOoK
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 8, 2022
Further, renowned actress Zendaya also shared her joy in an Instagram story. The Dune actress shared a picture of Brittney Griner in her Instagram story to show her support.
President Biden spoke with Griner in the presence of her wife Cherelle Griner, VP Kamala Harris, and State secretary Anthony Blinken. Moreover, the President spoke with the media shortly after the deal was made in the UAE. He was glad to reveal that Griner was in good spirits and will return home to her family soon.
Notably, Griner was sent to a penal colony in Russia to serve her nine-year sentence. She was moved to the IK-2 facility last month in Russia. However, the State Department succeeded in saving the WNBA star from the horrors of a penal colony after months of negotiation.
Griner’s release draws heartwarming reactions
The massive news for Griner’s supporters before Christmas has led to some heartwarming reactions on Twitter. Among several renowned personalities, Hillary Clinton and Billie Jean King have also shared their joy with recent tweets.
Brittney Griner is free!
After 294 days in Russian captivity, @POTUS negotiated a "one-for-one" prisoner swap.
Thank you to President Biden, and to all those who worked so hard to secure her freedom.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) December 8, 2022
Glad Brittney Griner will spend the holidays with her wife and family. Still outrageous what Russian govt put her through using her as a political pawn. Also unjust she had to work abroad in the first place to compensate for shitty wages women pro ball players get compared to men https://t.co/t4Az1OrIeW
— Uju Anya (@UjuAnya) December 8, 2022
Brittney Griner Is Free And Coming Home.
Amazing news to start this day. pic.twitter.com/AQ1Ub6gDQY
— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline) December 8, 2022
God is good! Brittney Griner is FREE! 🙌🏾
— LaTosha Brown (@MsLaToshaBrown) December 8, 2022
Thankful that Brittney Griner is free and on the way home.
President Biden gets it done.
Again.
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
— Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) December 8, 2022
BRITTNEY GRINER IS ON HER WAY HOME! YESSS!!!
ANOTHER BIDEN WIN!
— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) December 8, 2022
Brittney Griner is finally coming home! THANK GOD! So happy for her and her family.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 8, 2022
After months of wrongful detention in Russia, Brittney Griner is on her way home to her wife Cherelle and her other loved ones. We will not cease in our efforts until Paul Whelan is back with his family, too.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) December 8, 2022
https://twitter.com/CrisCBurner/status/1600860316123815936
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Brittney Griner is coming home! 💙💙💙 pic.twitter.com/mjirEB0iBO
— Lorenzo The Cat (@LorenzoTheCat) December 8, 2022
Renowned entities from various walks of life have welcomed the news about Griner’s release. They seemed extremely happy that the WNBA star is on her way home.
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WATCH THIS STORY:?Did WNBA star Brittney Griner date 7-ft Lakers center, Anthony Davis?
Further, the news about Griner returning home certainly brought joy to the country before Christmas. In addition, President Biden was also praised for his contributions to securing the release of Brittney Griner.