The fate of Brittney Griner, sentenced to nine years for drug smuggling, continues to be monitored both in Russia and in the United States.

The legendary basketball player Dennis Rodman attracted additional attention to her.

The five-time NBA champion said that next week he was going to personally come to Russia and help a colleague.

According to him, he has already "got permission" to do so.

It is difficult to say how the visit of the famous athlete will affect the course of events, but he has already established himself as a person who is in contact with representatives of countries with which the United States does not have the best relations.

So, he visited the DPRK several times.

According to the American, he is friends with the head of North Korea, Kim Jong-un.

Moreover, Rodman claimed to have been instrumental in the release of Christian missionary Kenneth Bay, who was sentenced to 15 years on charges of plotting to overthrow the North Korean government.

Visited the five-time NBA champion and Russia.

This happened in 2014.

He even managed to cross paths with Vladimir Putin, and from their communication he had only positive emotions.

“You know, he’s actually a really cool guy.

He came in, shook my hand, immediately left with a bunch of people, ”Rodman shared his impressions.

Dennis has not previously spoken out about the Greiner case, but many other NBA stars have.

So, the leader of the Golden State, Stephen Curry, called for everything to be done so that the woman returned home as soon as possible.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony called for a special petition to be signed in defense of his colleague.

And LeBron James lamented that the United States does not provide the athlete with all the necessary support.

“After everything that's happened, can she feel like America has her back?

In her place, I would think: do I even want to return to America?

— said the basketball player in the show The Shop.

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“The Russian side is ready for a professional conversation”

Meanwhile, Greiner's side does not leave attempts to appeal the verdict.

Lawyers for the American woman filed an appeal.

At the same time, the exchange of a basketball player and Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years for espionage, for Viktor Bout is being discussed in the United States.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said that Russia is ready for a professional conversation and concrete actions on the exchange of prisoners if US representatives do not continue to "engage in political intrigue and squabbles."

“I want to emphasize once again: the Russian side is ready for a professional conversation and concrete actions on this matter.

But only professionally.

[Are] the people who should be doing this [ready]?

And this work is not done at the microphones, ”TASS quoted Zakharova as saying.

Vladimir Zherebenkov, Whelan's lawyer, spoke out about a possible exchange.

According to him, the US Embassy "did not recommend" him to file an appeal, "because the issue of the exchange was being resolved."

He also suggested why Greiner's defense decided to file an appeal.

“Possession and transportation of hash oil is not punishable in the US.

We consider it a drug.

Apparently, the lawyers want to point this out.

That Brittney had no intent to transport a prohibited substance, since for her it is not a drug.

And she has the right to dispose of it, store it, transport it on the territory of America, but here she forgot to put it out of her bag.

Apparently, they want to focus on this ... Although ignorance does not exempt from criminal liability, ”the Sport-Express lawyer quotes.

Earlier in April, Russia and the United States held a prisoner exchange.

Then the pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko returned home, and Trevor Reed, convicted of assaulting a policeman, went in the opposite direction.

Yaroshenko's lawyer Aleksey Tarasov expressed the hope that in the case of Greiner, the procedure would sooner or later be carried out.

At the same time, he stressed that the final decision remains directly with the leaders of the countries.

Meanwhile, the US State Department has not changed its position and continues to insist that the basketball player "was illegally detained" and "should be released immediately."

"Rodman's arrival won't help Greiner in any way"

To understand how the situation might develop in the future, and whether Rodman’s visit would help Greiner, RT turned to a lawyer, a specialist in civil and international law, Maria Yarmush.

In her opinion, the arrival of the legendary basketball player does not carry any benefit. 

“This can only help Rodman, because for him it will be a huge PR.

This motivation is visible to the naked eye.

Surely a crowd of American journalists will fly in with him to record everything.

Greiner, his arrival will probably not help in any way.

A guilty plea could play into her hands, which she did.

Then it remains to wait for the appeal to be considered, although I don’t know what legal grounds her lawyers found to review the sentence, ”said Yarmush.

The lawyer called the attempt to put pressure on the Russian authorities by the five-time NBA champion unacceptable, but stressed that it does not make any sense, since even the public appeal in her defense by US President Joe Biden did not save the convict.

“The Court of Appeal will soon check the case file and assess whether the sentence complies with the letter of the law and whether all mitigating circumstances have been taken into account.

She may even have her sentence reduced.

There is an appeal for this, ”added Yarmush.

At the same time, the lawyer explained what an exchange is in legal terms.

These prisoners should be pardoned in both countries, released from criminal prosecution, and only then returned to their homeland.

“Such a proposal was made primarily in the United States.

They are trying to work in this direction.

Diplomatic channels for settling these issues, as stated by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, are open.

Now everything depends on the American side.

If the interests of both countries are taken into account and a balance is reached, the exchange is quite possible, and it will be in the interests of the prisoners themselves.

In particular, Griner will get a chance to return home and continue his sports career, ”said Yarmush.

But filing an appeal, according to her, is really only capable of delaying the process of the possible release of an American if an agreement with the United States is reached.

“Only the entry into force of the verdict will give her the opportunity to apply for pardon.

Accordingly, until the appeal is considered, the verdict will not enter into force.

And this will happen, taking into account the loading of ships, only in about two months.

But her lawyers have the right to withdraw the appeal at any time and thereby speed up everything, ”Yarmush emphasized.

Finally, the lawyer noted that all attempts by the American side to present the athlete as illegally convicted do not make any sense, since she violated the law and publicly admitted this.

And ignorance of the points of the criminal code does not relieve a person from responsibility.