U.S. diplomat says negotiations to release Brittney Griner have stalled
WNBA star remains in Russian penal colony By Brody Levesque | Washington Blade Courtesy National LGBT Media Association (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key) In remarks published Monday, Elizabeth Rood, the U.S.
chargée d’affaires in Moscow, told Russia’s state-owned RIA news agency that talks to free jailed Americans Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan were continuing through the “designated channel.” During the long ranging interview covering a variety of subjects, Rood was asked if she intended to visit the imprisoned WNBA star who is serving time in a Mordovian prison. “Of course, we are going to do this as soon as the Russian authorities give us permission to visit Brittney Griner in the new colony where she was recently transferred,” the American diplomat responded and in answer to a follow-up question regarding Griner’s status. “As far as we understood from talking to her, she is healthy and doing as well as can be expected in her difficult circumstances.” RIA then focused on the negotiations asking for some of the details including the possibility of convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout being included in the “exchange list” in the potential prisoner swap deal between the Russian and American authorities. “I can say that the United States continues to discuss with the Russian authorities through special channels the issue of the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.
As we have already said, the United States has submitted a serious proposal for consideration. We finalized this proposal and offered alternatives.
Unfortunately, the Russian Federation has so far received no serious response to these proposals, ” the U.S. chargée d’affaires answered. “However, I would like to emphasize that the main concern and the
