A day after Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years by a Russian court for a drug offense, they’re prepared to debate a prisoner swap, Reuters reports.
On Friday, Russia acknowledged they had been able to proceed with talks a few prisoner swap. Initially, President Biden and Putin agreed on a “diplomatic channel” that may be used to debate particulars.
We’re prepared to debate this subject, however inside the framework of the channel that was agreed upon by presidents Putin and Biden,” Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov stated throughout a go to to Cambodia.
Lavrov continued:
If the People resolve to as soon as once more resort to public diplomacy … that’s their enterprise and I might even say that it’s their downside.
Russian authorities reiterated that they’re solely all for discussing a prisoner swap in personal.
The People have already made that mistake, abruptly deciding to make use of megaphone diplomacy to resolve these points,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
Biden instructed White Home reporters he’s “hopeful” and “we’re working exhausting” to get Brittney Griner again dwelling.
Brittney Griner’s Conviction
A Russian court docket discovered Brittney Griner responsible of tried drug smuggling and possession on Thursday.
In keeping with CNN, the responsible verdict says Brittney had criminal intent when she tried to enter the nation with lower than 1 gram of hashish oil in her baggage.
Earlier than the conviction, Russian prosecutors asked the court to contemplate giving the WNBA star 9.5 years of their closing. Shortly after information of the decision broke, Brittney’s legal professionals confirmed the Russian court docket obliged the prosecutors’ request. Because of this, she was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony, per The New York Instances. Moreover, the decide fined Brittney about $16,300–a million rubles.
Brittney apologized and acknowledged partly:
I by no means meant to harm anyone, I by no means meant to place in jeopardy the Russian inhabitants, I by no means meant to interrupt any legal guidelines right here
Roomies, what do you consider this?
