Viktor Bout, the convicted Russian criminal traded for WNBA star Brittney Griner, says in a new interview that he wished her “good luck” when they crossed paths on the tarmac in Abu Dhabi.
The exchange of prisoners on neutral grounds in the United Arab Emirates took place last December. “I said, you know, ‘I wish you the best of luck,'” Bout, 56, recalled in a new interview with ESPN. “And, you know, we both went to our, you know, planes.”
Bout is an arms dealer widely known as the “Merchant of Death” and served a 25-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2011 of four crimes, including his role in a conspiracy to kill Americans, supplying anti-aircraft missiles and aiding a terrorist organization.
A timeline of Brittney Griner’s imprisonment in Russia
The Russian was serving time at the U.S. Penitentiary in Marion, Ill., when he first heard on the news about a potential swap with him and Griner. Then, he told ESPN, prison guards came to his cell one morning and told him he would be released later that day.
Bout told ESPN that he shook Griner’s hand before wishing her luck, noting that she was “much taller than me” and that he was surprised she was without her signature hair, which she cut in anticipation of a long Russian winter in prison. “Of course, I feel, you know, bad or sorry for any person who’s going to be used as a pawn, whether they’ve done anything or not,” Bout told ESPN of Griner, adding that he and Griner paid “price” for politicians who “play chess, on this big chessboard they call geopolitics”.
Brittney Griner scores 10 points in first WNBA preseason game since coming out: ‘Grateful to be here’
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Viktor Bout.
Boris Alekseev/Anadolu Agency via Getty
President Joe Biden approved Boutova’s release in exchange for Griner, who was initially arrested in Russia last February after customs officials found a cannabis-oil vape in her luggage.
The WNBA star’s arrest came a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, adding to global political tension over her detention.
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U.S. officials faced backlash for not including Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine still in custody in Russia on disputed espionage charges, in the exchange deal.
Brittney Griner says getting back to normal is ‘a little hard’ after returning from Russia
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Brittney Griner.
Ronald Martinez/Getty
Griner missed the 2022 WNBA season, but returned to the court earlier this year for the Phoenix Mercury. The Mercury are currently in last place with two games remaining in the regular season, but Griner appears to have barely skipped a beat after returning for her first season, making her ninth WNBA All-Star game and leading Phoenix with 17.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
At the All-Star Game earlier this year, Griner told reporters that she has been “cherishing” the support of the fans since she returned in May. “It means the world,” Griner said.
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