Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout is said to have said Brittney Griner could be released in exchange for Bout being jailed in Russia.

The ongoing legal saga of WNBA star Brittney Griner continues to deliver exciting — and latest — updates regarding her freedom in exchange for a notorious criminal. According to recent reports, the lawyer for incarcerated arms dealer Viktor Bout said Brittney Griner could be released in exchange for his client’s detention in Russia.

@Forbes reports, Steve Zissou, US attorney for currently in custody arms dealer Viktor Bout, recently stated that Moscow, Russia is ready to free Brittney Griner from detention if the US government agrees to swap prisoners with Viktor Bout. Bout is currently serving a 25-year sentence in the US for serious crimes that earned him the nickname “The Dealer of Death”.

Speaking of potential prisoner swaps, Zissou talks about the process, saying “it’s really not that complicated.” Initial discussions about a prisoner swap involving Brittney Griner and Viktor Bout began shortly after her incarceration, as former diplomat and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was asked to help in the process. This process is due to experience with international hostage negotiations.

However, it should be noted that so far, there has not been an official statement or confirmation from the Russian government that a prisoner exchange for Brittney Griner’s release is being made.

Also, since Viktor Bout’s crimes are much more serious than Brittney Griner’s, potential exchanges can be tricky. Bout was convicted in 2011 of selling weapons to the left-wing Colombian rebel group FARC.

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