After nearly nine months in Russian detention, Brittney Griner has been released as part of a prisoner swap, the Biden administration announced Thursday morning.
The development comes after months of rumors of an attempted prisoner swap—and just weeks after Griner was formally transferred to a Russian penal colony to begin serving a 9-year sentence. While Griner's release is welcome news, it's important to remember that her imprisonment was so outrageous not just because of its obvious political motivation but also because no one should face prison time for nonviolent drug offenses.
