A spokesman for the Russian president denied that the basketball player was a hostage, while declining to give an update on her release.
The US State Department has said that the basketball player is being held hostage in Russia because they found marijuana in her luggage.
There is a chance of 10 years in prison for the charge.
There is a professional league in Russia for basketball players. Russian authorities said that when she arrived in Moscow, they found her with a bag full of electronic devices.
Since her arrest more than four months ago, she has been kept in jail. According to Tass, she's going to remain in jail until July 2.
She was arrested on February 17 and Russia invadedUkraine on February 24.
According to a legal expert, she will either be secretly found guilty or exchanged for a prisoner in a prisoner swap.
After her February arrest, American authorities quietly negotiated her release and return to the US. In May, the State Department moved her case to the agency's Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs in order to get her released.
The new designation makes it possible for her supporters to speak more freely about her captivity.
The hundreds and hundreds of Russian citizens that were sentenced for the same alleged crime are being treated the same.
She is being prosecuted for violating Russian law. Being a hostage isn't what it's about. Many Americans are here. You have to obey the laws, but they are enjoying their freedom.
The State Department didn't respond to Insider's request for comment.
Tass reported last month that Griner might be exchanged for Bout, who was convicted in the US for dealing arms. Peskov wouldn't confirm the report when NBC News asked about it.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
