Despite the U.S. government's renewed support for WNBA star Brittney Griner, most prisoner exchanges don't occur until after conviction, Partner Tom Firestone tells the Wall Street Journal.
Griner is currently awaiting trial and has been doing so since she was first detained on February 17 of this year.
"It's typically after somebody's been convicted and gotten a substantial sentence," Tom says. "Before they're convicted you just don't know: they might be acquitted or not get a substantial sentence."
Tom also says, however, that it is not unheard of for prisoner exchanges to be negotiated based solely on an arrest — a possibility that could come into play due to the potentially lengthy pre-trial detention period typical of the Russian criminal justice system.
According to the Journal, "the State Department has determined that Griner is being wrongfully detained in Russia on drug charges — a significant change that puts the weight of the U.S. government behind the campaign for her release."
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Originally published by Wall Street Journal
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