Could Brittney Griner Come Home for the Holidays? Russia's Diplomat Says Prisoner Swap Still Possible Before New Year's Day

A senior diplomat of Russia said Tuesday that a prisoner swap deal with the U.S. that could bring WNBA star Brittney Griner home before New Year's Day is still possible.

Fox 11 reported that when reporters asked him whether a prisoner exchange was possible before the year's end, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, "there always is a chance."

"Regrettably, there have been a few occasions when it seemed that a decision in favor of it was about to be made, but it never happened," Ryabkov said without elaborating in detail.

He added that if a prisoner swap happens, "it would undoubtedly send a positive signal that not everything is so utterly hopeless in Russian-U.S. relations."

Ryabkov then reiterated Russia's call to the U.S. to keep the talks about the prisoner swap discreet and refrain from making public statements. He noted that "Washington has been abusing 'loudspeaker diplomacy' instead of a quiet one, which didn't help us to do business."

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.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously said the U.S. made a substantial proposal to Russia, and the U.S. has repeatedly pressed that offer in the hope of getting some serious deals for the release of Griner and Whelan.

However, no deal has materialized, and Russia resisted discussing the prisoner swap negotiations amid heightened tensions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has further strained the relations between the U.S. and Russia.

WNBA Star Brittney Griner Is Now Serving Time in Penal Colony 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.

Griner was eventually charged with drug smuggling and sentenced to nine years in prison. Her lawyers tried to appeal the ruling. However, a Moscow regional court denied her appeal last month.

The court upheld the drug conviction of Griner, paving the way for the two-time Olympic gold medalist to serve nine years in a penal colony. According to Reuters, Griner was taken to Female Penal Colony IK-2 in Yavas at Mordovia region earlier this month.

According to Vice News, Russian penal colonies have a reputation for being some of the worst prison systems on their side of the globe. These prisons have become infamous for their poor treatment of prisoners.

Former prisoners spoke of rampant corruption and violence from guards and prisoners in these prisons, which are rife with human rights abuses.

Paul Whelan's Family Concerned About His Whereabouts in Russia

For months, the Biden administration has continued to engage with Russia "through every available channel" and make every effort to bring home Brittney Griner and "fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan."

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, which he denies.

Reuters reported that Whelan's brother said on Tuesday that they were concerned about his whereabouts after not hearing from him for days. David Whelan noted that prison staff had sent unclear messages that his brother was moved to the prison hospital.

David said the family does not know where Whelan is now. The penal colony's personnel noted that Whelan was moved to the prison hospital on November 17, a day after American and Irish diplomats visited the penal colony.

David also said his brother last talked to his parents on November 23 and did not mention the move. Whelan's brother noted that the family has not heard from him since then.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Life Inside the Russian Penal Colony Where Brittney Griner Is Serving Nine Years - From USA TODAY