Kremlin says Griner prisoner swap must be negotiated behind closed doors

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)