The White House on Thursday “urged” Russia to accept a “serious offer” of a prisoner exchange to bring basketball player Brittney Griner and another American citizen, Paul Whelan, back to the United States, Reuters reported. Agerpreswhich is quoted by AFP.

“We made a substantial offer to bring her and Paul Whelan home. We call on Russia to accept this proposal,” spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said, condemning the “brutal detention” of the basketball player, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia on Thursday for drug trafficking.

Brittney Griner, 31, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former WNBA star, is the subject of a US prisoner swap with Russia.

Arrested on February 17 at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport for having e-cigarette cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage, the athlete has already pleaded guilty, but last week said she did not intend to take the drugs with her and probably packed them. mistake when he was preparing to return from vacation in the USA to his team UMMC Yekaterinburg in Russia.