Brittney Griner was the subject of discussion between the United States and Russia, according to the State Department update this Monday, they discussed the next appeal so that Grinner could return home.
9 year sentence
Griner is serving nine years for possession of cannabis and was the spearhead to put a trade deal between the US and Russia. The United States is also interested in the recovery of Paul Whelan, an American citizen who has been serving a sixteen-year sentence for espionage since 2018.
The State Department has not moved the discussions where they want them
Speaking on the status of the discussions on Monday, State Department spokesman Ned Price stated that the US had ongoing discussions with Russia “have not reached the point where we would like them to be. See the article : Ranking Member News | Newsroom | The United States.”
The State Department has urged Russia for action
Ned Price, who is the spokesman for the State department, mentioned that “We put forward a big proposal a few months ago now,” CNN reported that Price continued with “We have consistently urged our Russian counterparts to act on this proposal. Read also : US support for Ukraine in the face of Russian attacks – US State Department.”
Prisoner swap
On the other hand, Russia is inclined to exchange Griner and Whelan for a Russian arms dealer named Viktor Bout, who is currently serving 25 years in the United States. This may interest you : Lessons from the tech industry can curb digital fratricide on the battlefield.
Griner awaits appeal hearing
Griner is currently appealing for a reduced sentence and she will have her hearing tomorrow, October 25, meanwhile, Price mentioned that the US officials “have not weighed in on the various judicial proceedings and judicial steps because as we have explained, we believe that those proceedings were largely shambolic.”
