U.S. Government Reportedly Given Warning About Brittney Griner

A Russian court rejected Brittney Griner's appeal against her nine-year prison sentence on Tuesday. As of now, she must remain in Russian detention for the foreseeable future.

Griner's legal team expected the three-judge panel in Moscow to reject her appeal. That being said, there's still a way the WNBA star can return to the United States.

In theory, the United States can negotiate a prisoner swap with Russia. Talks could potentially ramp up after the midterm elections.

If the United States is going to discuss a prisoner swap with Russia, these talks must be kept "strictly confidential."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had this to say about a potential prisoner swap involving Griner: "We always say that any contacts about possible exchanges can only be conducted in silence under a tight lid on any information."

Jake Sullivan, the National Security Advisor to President Joe Biden, said in a statement that Griner is being "wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances."

If the Biden-Harris Administration is willing to negotiate with Russia, there's a chance Griner could return to America sooner than later.

In the meantime, it's being reported that Griner will be transferred from a Moscow jail to a penal colony.

According to ESPN’s T.J. Quinn, the U.S. government now considers Griner to be wrongfully detailed by the Russian government.

It’s unclear what led to the U.S. government making this massive shift. What we do know, however, is that it means officials will try to negotiate Griner’s release rather than let Russia’s legal system play out.

Additionally, WNBA players and supporters in Congress will be allowed to shed as much light on this situation as they want.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert made it clear that bringing Griner back home remains the league’s top priority.

Until that day comes, the WNBA will honor her with a floor decal on all 12 courts.

“As we begin the 2022 season, we are keeping Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community,” Engelbert said. “We continue to work on bringing Brittney home and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time.”

At this time, Griner is scheduled to have a hearing on May 19.

Maximalist Demands

Griner’s best chance to secure her freedom would be through a prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States, according to the Times. But Biden’s options for securing Griner’s freedom are complicated by two main issues, according to Politico.

First, with pressure on Biden to negotiate her release, “the Russians are making maximalist demands in exchange for Griner,” one U.S. official told Politico. In particular, the Kremlin has suggested it might want to exchange Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer and former Soviet military officer who has been serving a 25-year sentence in the United States since 2011. But given that Bout’s weapons network wreaked havoc across the globe, the U.S. government is loath to give him a second chance.

Second, as Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine grinds on, he might want to use Griner as a bargaining chip to gain sanctions relief from the West, according to Politico. That is likely a nonstarter for the White House, which wants to keep pressure on Putin to end the war.

A Parallel Track to Government Negotiations

Aside from the official government negotiations, some close to Griner enlisted Bill Richardson, a former governor of New Mexico with years of