TThe Kremlin kept the door open on Wednesday for talks over a possible exchange for a jailed American basketball star Britney Greiner But he emphasized that any such discussions should be kept strictly confidential.
A Russian court on Tuesday rejected Grenier’s appeal against her nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. Eight-time All-Star status with the WNBA Phoenix Mercury The two-time Olympic gold medalist was convicted on August 4 after police said they found e-cigarette packages containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
In response to a question about whether Grenier could be released as part of a prisoner exchange deal with Washington, a Kremlin spokesman said Dmitriy Peskov “We always say that any communication about potential exchanges can only be made in silence, under the tight cover of any information,” he said on a conference call with reporters.
Russian court to appeal Britney Greiner’s appeal
Greiner’s arrest in February came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At the time, Greiner was returning to play for a Russian team during the WNBA’s offseason.
President Joe Biden He told reporters that his administration was in “continuous contact” with Russian authorities about Grenier and the other Americans being held there. Biden said that while there has been no progress in bringing her back to the United States, “we are not stopping.”
At her trial, Greiner admitted to keeping the packages in her luggage, but testified that she had inadvertently packed them in a hurry to make her trip and had no criminal intent. Her defense team provided written statements that she said had prescribed cannabis to treat her chronic pain.
‘Illegally detained’
Prior to her conviction, the US State Department declared Greiner to be “unjustly detained” – a charge that Russia vehemently rejected.
US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan In a statement, he said Biden “is prepared to make extraordinary efforts and make difficult decisions to bring Americans home.”
in july, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken In an unusual move, he said, Washington made a “substantial proposal” to Moscow to bring Grenier home, along with Paul Whelan, an American who is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia for espionage.
He did not elaborate, but the Associated Press and other news organizations reported that Washington had offered to exchange Greiner and Whelan with Victor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States who once earned the nickname “Dealer of Death.”
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