Brittney Griner Case: Kremlin Breaks Silence on Planned Prisoner Swap to Release WNBA Star from Abusive Jail

After the appeal made by WNBA star Brittney Griner was rejected by a Moscow court, the Kremlin finally commented on a possible swap involving the imprisoned American basketball star.

According to the Associated Press, the Kremlin is still open for talks for the prison swap. However, the Russian government reiterated that these talks must be kept "strictly confidential."

"We always say that any contacts about possible exchanges can only be conducted in silence under a tight lid on any information," stated Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during a conference call with reporters.

Brittney Griner's case is viewed by the U.S. government as "wrongfully detained," and has decried her arrest and imprisonment. It is widely viewed that her arrest has something to do with the U.S. sanctions on Russia, which was a response to the country's recent invasion of Ukraine.

Pres. Joe Biden Promises Not To Stop Trying To Get Brittney Griner Back, but the Kremlin Says WNBA Star 'Not a Priority'

President Joe Biden previously told reporters that he and his administration have been in "constant contact" with Russian authorities to talk about wrongfully detained Americans such as Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.

U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated that the administration "has continued to engage with Russia through every available channel." He also added that President Biden "is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home."

However, The Guardian has reported that while Biden is doing everything, he can to get her back, Russian President Vladimir Putin may not care as much as to what happens to Griner and others.

A senior aide to the Russian leader has stated that the issue regarding Brittney Griner is not a priority. The statement came earlier this month, as Griner was preparing to make her appeal, which ultimately failed.

Another aide to Putin also added that Biden was "most concerned about good publicity" for his party as the US midterm elections approach.

Brittney Griner's Lawyers Think 9-Year Prison Sentence Is Excessive

Al Jazeera reported that while making their arguments on court, Brittney Griner's lawyers argued that a lower court's nine-year prison sentence imposed on the WNBA star was excessive.

"The punishment imposed ... does not correspond to the gravity of the crime," Maria Blagovolina, one of Griner's Russian lawyers, argued during the appeal hearing. "Nine years in prison is a sentence that contradicts judicial practice."

However, the Russian appeals court rejected her plea, which means that Griner would have to be imprisoned in a Russian penal colony infamous for its human rights abuses.

Her best way to get home, for now, is the prisoner swap that the Biden administration proposed. No specifics have been made public, but multiple reports stated that one of the U.S. government's offers for Russia is for Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer imprisoned in the U.S.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: The Russian court rejects Brittney Griner's appeal against a 9-year prison sentence | Get Up - ESPN