U.S. officials have determined Brittney Griner was wrongfully detained in Russia back in March as they work to bring her back home. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Eight days after being sentenced to 9.5 years in a Russian prison, the country confirmed the first discussion to swap Brittney Griner and another American prisoner, Paul Whelan, is underway.</span></p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/08/11/russia-prisoner-exchange-griner-whelan/">reports</a> that Russian officials confirmed this announcement on Thursday.</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_92310" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-92310" style="width: 1140px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img class="size-full wp-image-92310" src="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_3810-scaled-e1656347330229.jpg" alt="Brittney Griner's Trial In Russia To Begin On Friday—Faces Up To 10 Years If Convicted" width="1140" height="638" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-92310" class="wp-caption-text">(Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Discussions are taking place via a channel President Biden and Putin agreed to back in June last year.</span></p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Ivan Nechayev, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated:</span></p>
<blockquote><p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Instructions were given to authorized structures to carry out </span><span data-preserver-spaces="true">negotiations,&#8221; Nechayev said. &#8220;They are being conducted by competent authorities.&#8221;</span></p></blockquote>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Russia stated they were ready to proceed with talks about a prisoner swap <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/russias-ready-to-discuss-prisoner-swap-one-day-after-brittney-griners-nine-year-conviction/">last week</a> but reiterated that they would decline the prisoner swap if the US continued to discuss details.</span></p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Biden told White House reporters he&#8217;s &#8220;hopeful&#8221; and &#8220;we&#8217;re working hard&#8221; to get Brittney Griner back home.</span></p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Why Did Russian Officials Arrest Paul Whelan?</h2>
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<p>Authorities arrested Whelan in 2018 and convicted him in 2020 for spying. Whelan maintained someone framed him, and the US says he&#8217;s &#8220;wrongfully detained.&#8221;</p>
<h2 style="text-align: center;"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Brittney Griner&#8217;s Conviction</span></h2>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">On Thursday, a Russian court found Brittney Griner guilty of attempted drug smuggling and possession. </span></p>
<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">According to </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">CNN, </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">the guilty verdict says Brittney </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/europe/brittney-griner-trial/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">had criminal intent</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> when she tried to enter the country with less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage.</span></p>
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<p><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Before the conviction, Russian prosecutors</span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/russian-prosecutors-ask-for-9-5-year-sentence-for-brittney-griner-in-closing-arguments-for-weed-vape-trial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> asked the court</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> to consider giving the WNBA star 9.5 years in their closing. Shortly after news of the verdict broke, Brittney&#8217;s lawyers confirmed the Russian court obliged the prosecutors&#8217; request. As a result, Griner received </span><a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/04/world/brittney-griner-trial-verdict-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-preserver-spaces="true">nine years</span></a><span data-preserver-spaces="true"> in a penal colony, per </span><em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">The New York Times. </span></em><span data-preserver-spaces="true">Additionally, the judge fined Brittney about $16,300–one million rubles.</span></p>
<p>Roomies, what do you think of this?</p>
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