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T.J. Quinn, ESPN Staff Writer
Russian Viktor Bout, the so-called Merchant of Death involved in a prisoner exchange for WNBA star Brittney Griner in December, says he followed Griner’s case closely from federal prison in Illinois and learned he was being swapped for her when guards came to his cell with boxes early the morning of his release.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN, Bout says he recalled hearing a knock on his cell door and being told, “Hey, you know, wake up and pack up. You’re leaving.”
“Then,” Bout recalled, “I realized, yes, I’m going home.”
Bout, 56, and Griner, 32, were freed and returned to their respective countries Dec. 8, 2022, in a dramatic prisoner exchange on the tarmac of an airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Since his release, Bout has declared his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine and has been nominated for a seat in a regional legislative assembly in central Russia. Elections there are Sunday.
After her release, Griner returned to play for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, who…
