WNBA star Brittney Griner was freed from Russia in a high-level prisoner swap between the county and the U.S., with the U.S. releasing Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The high-stakes swap didn’t include Paul Whelan, a Michigan native who was been jailed in Russia since 2018 on accusations of being a spy. The U.S. had expressed publicly for months, leading up to the swap, that they hoped to include both Griner and Whelan in a potential deal.
Whelan, a former corporate security executive from Metro Detroit, is being held in Russia on espionage charges, which his family and the U.S. say are baseless, and have classified him as wrongfully detained. He was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison.
“We’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan,” President Joe Biden said after the Griner swap was announced. “We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release.”
Whelan’s brother David said in a statement to the Associated Press he was “so glad” for Griner’s release but also disappointed for his family. He credited the White House with giving the Whelan family advance notice and said he did not fault officials for making the deal.
“The Biden Administration made the right decision to bring Ms. Griner home, and to make the deal that was possible, rather than waiting for one that wasn’t going to happen,” he said.
Paul Whelan was able to speak to CNN on the phone, “I’m happy that Brittney is going home today and that Trevor went home when he did. But I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here . . . My bags are packed, I’m ready to go home. I just need an airplane to come and get me.”
More: Brother of Metro Detroit native held in Russian prison says family has been in contact