Brittney Griner Case: Russia Confirms Prisoner Swap Talks With U.S. After Joe Biden Calls for Release of WNBA Star

For the first time, Russia confirmed on Thursday that it was carrying out prisoner swap negotiations with the U.S. that could bring WNBA star Brittney Griner home.

Fox News reported that Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivan Nechayev confirmed that prisoner swap talks between the two countries are taking place.

According to Marca, the U.S. previously proposed a deal to Russia to release Griner and another American prisoner, Paul Whelan, for infamous Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

"Instructions were given to authorized structures to carry out negotiations," Nechayev told the Washington Post, adding that "competent authorities" were conducting them.

If the deal between Russia and the U.S. will not push through, Brittney Griner will spend nine years in a Russian prison. The WNBA star was sentenced last week after being convicted of drug possession and smuggling.

Joe Biden Administration Seeks Prisoner Swap With Russia to Bring Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan Home

The administration of President Joe Biden is looking to bring Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan back home through a prisoner exchange with Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the proposed deal at a news conference last month. Blinken said he plans to discuss the prisoner swap with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov "in the coming days."

Blinken noted that he will be talking about the release of Whelan and Griner, who have been wrongfully detained and must be allowed to come home.

The state secretary did not provide additional details on the nature of the proposal. However, he noted the possibility of a prisoner swap, which has been speculated since Griner's trial started.

Blinken said the U.S. would like a response from Russia that has expressed interest in releasing Viktor Bout.

Bout was sentenced to 25 years in prison in the U.S. in 2012 on charges of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.

Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, was arrested in Russia in 2018 and was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on espionage charges.

Brittney Griner Arrested in Russia

Brittney Griner has been held in Russia since February for drug charges. Authorities in Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage.

The WNBA star had pleaded guilty to the charge, acknowledging in court that she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage when she arrived in Moscow to play basketball in Russia.

However, she said she had no criminal intent and had accidentally packed the cartridges. Griner added that she had a doctor's recommendation for it and had packed it up in a hurry.

Following the WNBA star's sentencing, Joe Biden called the verdict "unacceptable," and said Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained.

"It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates," Biden said in a statement.

The president added that his administration will continue to work and pursue every possible avenue to bring "Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible."

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Joshua Summers

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