The State Department provided an update Monday on where things stand regarding discussions to return Brittney Griner back to the United States ahead of the detained WNBA star’s appeal Tuesday.
Griner, who’s currently serving a nine-year sentence for drug possession, has been the subject of talks regarding a potential prisoner swap that would free the 31-year-old along with Paul Whelan, an American who received a 16-year sentence in 2018 for alleged espionage.
Speaking on the status of the discussions Monday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price stated that the U.S. has had continuous discussions with Russia “including in recent days” but talks “have not gotten to the point where we would like them to be.”
“We put forward a substantial proposal a number of months ago now,” Price said, according to CNN. “We have consistently urged our Russian counterparts to act on this proposal.” The proposed details of the swap have reportedly centered around Griner and Whelan in exchange for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who’s serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S.
When asked about Griner’s hope of a reduced sentence following her appeal hearing on Oct. 25, Price noted that U.S. officials “have not weighed in on the various judicial proceedings and judicial steps because as we’ve made clear, we believe that these proceedings have been largely shambolic.”
Monday’s news comes just six days after Griner issued a statement thanking her supporters on Oct. 18 as the Mercury center ushered in her 32nd birthday.
“Thank you everyone for fighting so hard to get me home,” Griner said in the release, per CNN’s Ana Cabrera. “All the support and love are definitely helping me.”
Griner has been in Russian custody since February following her arrest at a Moscow-area airport for possessing hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to drug charges in July, adding that she did not intend to break the law, and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony on Aug. 4 after being convicted of smuggling drugs with criminal intent following a monthlong trial.
As of Oct. 24, Griner has been imprisoned for 249 days.
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