Kremlin says Griner prisoner swap must be negotiated behind closed doors

Kremlin says Griner prisoner swap must be negotiated behind closed doors
U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner appears in court via video link in Krasnogorsk

MOSCOW (Reuters) – The Kremlin on Wednesday said that a potential prisoner exchange with the United States to free U.S. WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner, who is serving a nine-year prison sentence in Russia on drug smuggling charges, can only be negotiated quietly.

In a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the rejection of Griner’s appeal by a Moscow court on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

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