PAUL WHELAN

Russia Griner WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a court room ater a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022. A judge in Russia has convicted American basketball star Brittney Griner of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced her to nine years in prison. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (Alexander Zemlianichenko)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations, said Tuesday he was hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in Russia's release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan. “And that is why I think a two-for-two deal is hopefully a likely outcome,” Richardson said. Though Richardson said he was cautiously optimistic, and even though there is recent precedent for prisoner swaps, such deals aren't easy.

Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a frequent emissary in hostage negotiations, says he's hopeful about the chances of a two-for-two prisoner swap that could result in the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.

Russia will discuss a prisoner exchange involving the basketball star but not in public, said Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The Kremlin says it’s open to talking about a possible prisoner exchange involving American basketball star Brittney Griner but strongly warned Washington against publicizing the issue.

The White House has urged Russia to accept its offer of a deal for the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan

Now that WNBA star Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison, attention turns to the prospect of a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia that could get her home.

Russia will regard any prisoner swap as a propaganda win. But the real message we can proclaim is about American values.

A judge in Russia convicted American basketball star Brittney Griner of drug possession and smuggling.

American basketball star Brittney Griner is back in court for her trial for cannabis possession amid U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure her release.

Since Brittney Griner last appeared in her trial for cannabis possession, the question of her fate has expanded from a cramped courtroom on Moscow’s outskirts to the highest level of Russia-U.S. diplomacy.

Russian officials are asking that a former colonel from Russia’s domestic spy agency be included in the proposed prisoner swap, according to CNN.

RUSSIA-US-DIPLOMACY-BASKET-COURT US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on July 27, 2022. Blinken said he “pressed the Kremlin to accept” the offer during what he described as a “frank and direct conversation,”“I urged Foreign Minister Lavrov to move forward with that proposal,” Blinken said. Russian officials were also tight-lipped about whether any progress was made during the call between Blinken and Lavrov. The network reported that Russia had informally requested through back channels to add convicted murderer Vadim Krasikov to the proposed swap. Experts who spoke to Yahoo Sports on Thursday are skeptical that a deal exchanging Bout for Griner and Whelan is imminent.

Russia wants to add murderer to prisoner swap for Griner, Whelan: Report

It was the first time he and Sergey Lavrov have spoken since Russia invaded Ukraine six months ago.

U.S. officials have in recent days publicized their efforts to get back Griner, a WNBA star, and Whelan, a corporate security executive, whose cases have drawn widespread national attention. Blinken did not provide details of Lavrov's response to what he had previously called a "substantial proposal" for Russia to release Whelan and Griner. Blinken had publicly requested the call and revealed the existence of the offer to Russia. People familiar with the offer say the U.S. wants to swap Whelan and Griner for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2020.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he has spoken to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and urged Moscow to accept a U.S. proposal to release WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detainee, Paul Whelan.

Uzbekistan Shanghai Cooperation Organisation In this handout photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova attend a foreign ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Friday, July 29, 2022. (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP) (Uncredited)MOSCOW — (AP) — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday that he's open to a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss a possible prisoner swap involving American basketball star Brittney Griner. Speaking on a visit to Uzbekistan, Lavrov said his ministry had received an official U.S. request for a call after Blinken made the statement. Lavrov said he was open to discussing the prisoner exchange, even though the Foreign Ministry hasn't been involved in previous discussions on the issue. Asked Thursday about the U.S. offer, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov replied that prisoner swaps were typically negotiated discreetly behind the scenes.

Russia's top diplomat says he’s open to a call with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss a possible prisoner swap involving American basketball star Brittney Griner.

The Biden administration likes to say Russia is isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine.

Brittney Griner WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner stands in a cage at a court room prior to a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, July 26, 2022. American basketball star Brittney Griner has returned to a Russian courtroom for her drawn-out trial on drug charges that could bring her 10 years in prison if convicted. In early May, the State Department classified Griner as wrongfully detained without explanation and began working to negotiate her release. Blinken’s public acknowledgement of an offer for Griner and Whelan reflects the mounting pressure on the administration to get both home. Russian state media has repeatedly floated potential prisoner trades for Bouts while he is serving a 25-year sentence in Illinois.

There is growing speculation that the Russian arms dealer could be released from U.S. prison in exchange for Russia freeing Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.

There is growing speculation that the Russian arms dealer could be released from U.S. prison in exchange for Russia freeing Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan.

Paul Whelan, Brittney Griner Paul Whelan, left, a former U.S. Marine accused of spying and arrested in Russia stands inside a defendants' cage during a hearing at a court in Moscow on August 23, 2019. Brittney Griner, right, a U.S. basketball player arrested on drug charges, can be seen in a Russian court in Moscow on July 27, 2022. “There was a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate” the release of Griner and Whelan, Blinken said at a news briefing. Whelan traveled to Russia as a tourist in 2018 and was arrested on allegations of espionage. The State Department classifies both Griner and Whelan as having been wrongfully detained.

Russian officials said Thursday that negotiations had been taking place for a possible prisoner swap between the United States and Russia, but that a deal had not yet been reached.

The Kremlin has warned that a possible prisoner swap with the United States involving American basketball star Brittney Griner needs to be negotiated quietly without fanfare.

Blinken says US has made substantial offer to Russia for release of Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner The “substantial offer” was for the release of two American detainees, Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner. (NCD)WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that officials “put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago” to secure the release of former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and WNBA star Brittney Griner, who are both classified as having been wrongfully detained by Russia. Blinken did not elaborate on the proposal put forth by officials, though CNN reported that authorities are offering to exchange Whelan and Griner for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. The two-time Olympic gold medalist added that she asked to leave the customs area to get on another flight because she hadn’t realized she was being detained, according to the Post. The newspaper reported that officials told her that she could not go, and her passport was taken.

The secretary of state said securing the Americans' release remains a "top priority" for the U.S.

The Biden administration has “put a substantial proposal on the table” aimed at bringing Brittney Griner and fellow jailed American Paul Whelan home from Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. A plan to trade Bout for Whelan and Griner has received the backing of President Biden, CNN reported on Wednesday. Bout has acknowledged graduating from the prestigious Military Institute of Foreign Languages, then working in Africa in the late 1980s as a Soviet military translator. The military language school was known as a training ground for the Soviet foreign military intelligence directorate known as the GRU. “He sat at the center of a whole network of Russian arms deals that all trace back to Putin.

The Biden administration is seeking the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner and ex-Marine Paul Whelan.

It is unclear what the deal is, or whether it will be enough for Russia to release the Americans.

The Biden administration has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.

The U.S. has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. In a sharp reversal of previous policy, Blinken also said he expects to speak with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine. The statement marked the first time the U.S. government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February and testified Wednesday at her trial.

WNBA star Brittney Griner testified at her drug possession trial in Russia that an interpreter translated only a fraction of what was said during questioning when she was detained at Moscow’s airport in February and officials told her to sign documents without giving an explanation.

The latest Russian court hearing in the drug trial of American basketball star Brittney Griner has focused on testimony about countries that regard cannabis as having legitimate medicinal uses.

The spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry says the United States has shown disrespect for Russian law by characterizing basketball star Brittney Griner’s jailing on drug charges as “wrongful detention.”.

We should not abandon our citizens in their time of need. But our efforts to bring Brittney Griner home shouldn't hinge on an ill-advised trade.

A lawyer for the WNBA star at her drug possession trial in Russia gave the court a U.S. doctor's letter recommending she use medical cannabis to treat pain. Medical marijuana is not legal in Russia.

In Russia’s judicial system, admitting guilt doesn’t automatically end a trial.

A lawyer for WNBA star Brittney Griner at her drug possession trial has given a Russian court a letter from a U.S. doctor recommending she use cannabis to treat pain.

Sports Seriously: Former NBA star Tracy McGrady discusses why Russell Westbrook's play style doesn't fit on the Lakers roster with LeBron James.

‌Talking about Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia, where she’s been imprisoned since February, James wondered aloud, “[She’s been there] over 110 days. Based on the 110-day number LeBron throws out, that means the discussion on “The Shop” took place more than a month ago. ‌In the last month, Griner’s wife has received a phone call from both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that Griner's release "is a priority for this president." And now the episode will air Friday night and people will listen to LeBron saying America does not have Brittney Griner's back, when nothing could be further from the truth.

‌Talking about Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia, where she’s been imprisoned since February, James wondered aloud, “[She’s been there] over 110 days. Based on the 110-day number LeBron throws out, that means the discussion on “The Shop” took place more than a month ago. ‌In the last month, Griner’s wife has received a phone call from both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that Griner's release "is a priority for this president." And now the episode will air Friday night and people will listen to LeBron saying America does not have Brittney Griner's back, when nothing could be further from the truth.

The drug possession trial of WNBA star Brittney Griner has resumed, with the head of the Russian club she plays for in the offseason and a teammate from that squad testifying in support of her character and what she has meant for women’s basketball in the country.

Russia Arms Dealer FILE - Viktor Bout, center, is led by armed Thai police commandoes as he arrives at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010. The Russian arms dealer who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines with speculation around a return to Moscow in a prisoner exchange for U.S. WBNA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong, File) (Apichart Weerawong)MOSCOW — (AP) — A Russian arms dealer labeled the "Merchant of Death" who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines with speculation around a return to Moscow in a prisoner exchange. Scheindlin said Griner was arrested for something that “wouldn't be five minutes in jail.”That sentiment is shared by others. The deliveries occurred despite United Nations sanctions imposed against Bout since 2001 because of his reputation as a notorious illegal arms dealer.

A Russian arms dealer labeled the “Merchant of Death” and who once inspired a Hollywood movie is back in the headlines again.

LeBron James is publicly criticizing the United States’ handling of WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner’s case in a trailer for an upcoming episode of his television show: “The Shop: Uninterrupted.”.

Biden Whelan FILE - Elizabeth Whelan, sister of U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Russian prisoner Paul Whelan, speaks at a news conference alongside families of Americans currently being held hostage or wrongfully detained overseas in Lafayette Park near the White House, May 4, 2022, in Washington. President Joe Biden spoke by phone July 8 with Elizabeth Whelan according to the White House. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File) (Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON — (AP) — President Joe Biden spoke by phone Friday with the sister of Paul Whelan, an American who has been imprisoned in Russia for more than three years, according to the White House. Biden also wrote a letter to Griner that was delivered to her when she appeared in a Russian court Thursday. Elizabeth Whelan criticized the White House earlier this week, arguing the administration was not giving her brother's case the same level of attention as Griner's detention.

President Joe Biden has spoken by phone with the sister of Paul Whelan, an American who has been imprisoned in Russia for more than three years.

When Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession in a Russian court, hopes rose that her months of detention may soon be over, either through a U.S.-Russia prisoner swap or a pardon from President Vladimir Putin.

Griner was arrested at a moment of severe tension between Washington and Moscow, that has worsened with Russia’s war on Ukraine

WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.

Brittney Griner’s appeal to President Joe Biden in a handwritten letter continued to garner reaction Tuesday after the WNBA All-Star acknowledged she feared never returning home and asked Biden not “forget about me and the other American Detainees.”.

Viktor Bout, whose wild exploits once inspired a Hollywood film starring Nicolas Cage, is serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. prison.

Brittney Griner: What you need to know WNBA star Brittney Griner was detained in Russia in February. (NCD)WNBA star Brittney Griner’s trial in a Russian court has begun. She faces up to 10 years in prison if she’s convicted and fewer than 1% of defendants in Russia are acquitted. Griner was taken to court in handcuffs just before noon in Moscow, Reuters reported. Griner was in Russia after playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA off-season as does several U.S. players who have contracts with the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League, Reuters reported.

WNBA star Brittney Griner has gone on trial in a Russian court on charges of possessing cannabis oil.

WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in a court near Moscow that ordered her trial on cannabis possession charges to begin Friday, about 4 1/2 months after she was arrested at an airport while returning to play for a Russian team.

Brittney Griner will have a place at the WNBA All-Star Game.

US Russia Griner Whelan FILE - Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner during the first half of Game 2 of basketball's WNBA Finals against the Chicago Sky, Oct. 13, 2021, in Phoenix. Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American locked up by a foreign country. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File) (Rick Scuteri)WASHINGTON — (AP) — State Department officials met Monday with representatives of Brittney Griner's WNBA team about the Phoenix Mercury star's monthslong detention in Russia and the Biden administration's efforts to secure her release. The State Department confirmed the meeting, which involved officials from its specialized office that advocates for hostages and wrongfully detained Americans, but offered no additional details about what was said or who specifically attended. In May, the State Department reclassified Griner as wrongfully detained and transferred oversight of her case to the State Department Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, or SPEHA.

State Department officials have met with representatives of Brittney Griner’s WNBA team about the Phoenix Mercury star’s monthslong detention in Russia and the Biden administration’s efforts to secure her release.

Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American locked up by a foreign country. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File) (Rick Scuteri)KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — (AP) — Penny Taylor used her induction into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame to call for the release of her former WNBA Phoenix Mercury teammate Brittney Griner, noting it's been 114 days since the seven-time WNBA All-Star was detained. Taylor helped Australia win two Olympic silver medals in 2004 and 2008. Milton-Jones also helped the U.S. win Olympic gold in 2000 and 2008, missing the 2004 Athens Games with an injury. He also has helped win six gold medals with USA Basketball.

Penny Taylor used her induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame to call for the release of her former Phoenix Mercury teammate Brittney Griner.

US Russia Griner Whelan FILE - WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, File) (Alexander Zemlianichenko)WASHINGTON — (AP) — Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American locked up by a foreign country. But the WNBA star's case is tangled up with that of a lesser-known American also imprisoned in Russia. “It's still very raw,” Whelan's sister, Elizabeth Whelan, said of her brother being excluded from the Reed deal. “I truly believe Brittney Griner's fastest path out of Russia is on Air Whelan,” he said.

WNBA star Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American locked up by a foreign country.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed 10 gun-related bills on Monday, making the state one of the first to enact legislation amid a wave of deadly mass shootings in the U.S. (June 6)

Brittney Griner has been able to receive emails and letters from WNBA players to an account Griner’s agent set up to allow them to communicate with her.

UMM AL-QUWAIN, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The hulking, Soviet-era cargo plane has sat for decades under the blazing sun in a remote corner of the United Arab Emirates, its four jet engines silent after years in the employ of a Russian gunrunner known as the “Merchant of Death.” The emirate of Umm al-Quwain plans a $675 million development on a island just across a lagoon from the deactivated airport where Bout's plane sits.

Pictures of the Week-Global-Photo Gallery WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Friday, May 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko) (Alexander Zemlianichenko)The State Department said Tuesday that it still pushing to have regular contact with WNBA star Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury, who has been detained in Russia for nearly three months. A consular official was able to meet with Griner last week, when her pre-trial detention in Russia was extended for one month. Griner has been detained — wrongfully, U.S. officials have said — since February, after vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis were allegedly found in her luggage at an airport in Moscow. The Biden administration says Griner is being wrongfully detained.

The State Department said Tuesday that it still pushing to have regular contact with WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for nearly three months.

The U.S. government also considers Whelan's detention unjust and officials have called on Russia to release him. Reed’s release in a surprise prisoner swap triggered similar mixed emotions forthe families of Americans wrongfully detained overseas. “And we need action from the man who occupies the house behind me,” Rutherford said, referring to Biden. Besides Reed's release, Biden met at the White House on Monday with the parents of Austin Tice, an American journalist abducted in Syria in August 2012. Their meeting came after Tice's mother, Debra, attended the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner.

Relatives of American hostages and wrongful detainees are trying to get the Biden administration's attention in hopes of getting their loved ones home.

A series of factors helped pave the way for Trevor Reed's release from a Russian prison this week as part of a prisoner exchange.

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner, who was detained at a Moscow airport after agents accused her of having of cannabis oil, remains in Russian custody.

Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia and it’s unclear how an unexpected prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia that freed marine veteran Trevor Reed will affect the status of the WNBA star.

Russia and the United States have exchanged prisoners.

WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American citizen known to be jailed by a foreign government.

The Phoenix Mercury are preparing for their WNBA season without teammate Brittney Griner.

A’ja Wilson wishes that she and her USA Basketball teammates could do more to help Brittney Griner right now.

Serhyi Malyshenkon displays medals awarded to him by the USSR for his military service – all now charred after his house in Yasnohorodka, Ukraine, was destroyed by Russian shelling. "This house never did anything wrong to anyone."

Russia US Prisoner Joey and Paula Reed, parents of U.S. Marine Corps veteran and Russian prisoner Trevor Reed, stand in Lafayette Park near the White House, Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Washington. The Reeds are urging President Joe Biden to advocate for their son's release from his nine-year prison term on charges alleging that he assaulted police officers in Moscow. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) (Patrick Semansky)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The parents of a Marine veteran imprisoned in Russia met with President Joe Biden and senior staffers at the White House on Wednesday, according to the administration and a spokesman for the Reed's family. The White House says both men are being wrongly detained. White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the meeting and said the president's national security team would remain in contact with the Reeds.

Two of Brittney Griner’s USA Basketball teammates have broken their silence on the star player’s imprisonment in Russia.

The U.S. State Department says a U.S. Embassy official has visited with WNBA star Brittney Griner, who remains detained near Moscow, to check on her condition.

The United States has demanded consular access to WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is faring well behind bars in Russia, according to a member of a Russian state-backed prison monitoring group.

Russia Ukraine War American Detainees FILE - Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine who was arrested for alleged spying, listens to the verdict in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, June 15, 2020. The war with Ukraine has not only occupied global attention, but it has also led to punishing economic sanctions by the U.S. and escalating Russian aggression in the face of international condemnation over its invasion. Ukraine, meanwhile, is holding North Dakota farmer Kurt Groszhans, accused in a plot to assassinate a current member of the country's political cabinet. His family and supporters say the charges are trumped up, and were designed to silence Groszhan's own allegations of government corruption in Ukraine. Unlike Reed and Whelan, the U.S. has not designated Groszhans as a wrongful detainee.

The already challenging path to bringing home Americans jailed in Russia and Ukraine is likely even more complicated now with a war overwhelming the region and increasingly hostile relations between the United States and the Kremlin.

Families of American hostages and detainees say they're frustrated with the Justice Department over what they see as the agency's refusal to consider prisoner exchanges that could get their loved ones home.

The two-year case against Calvey further tainted Russia’s reputation for foreign investment and divided Moscow’s business community.

MOSCOW — (AP) — A Moscow court on Monday rejected an imprisoned American's appeal against his nine-year sentence for assaulting police officers. The Moscow City Court upheld the sentence issued last year by a lower court, which convicted Trevor Reed for an altercation in August 2019 in Moscow, where he was studying Russian and visiting his girlfriend. Asked about Reed in a recent interview with NBC News, Russian President Vladimir Putin called him a “drunk and a troublemaker.”Reed was diagnosed with COVID-19 in May. Reed is one of two Americans imprisoned in Russia under controversial circumstances. U.S. President Joe Biden said Whelan and Reed are being “wrongfully imprisoned” in Russia and raised their plight with Putin at their summit in Geneva earlier this month.

A Moscow court has rejected an imprisoned American’s appeal against his nine-year sentence for assaulting police officers.

Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed are imprisoned in Russia.

Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin of Russia spent more than three hours discussing issues Wednesday at their summit in Geneva.

Both families are calling on President Biden to help secure the release of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.

Both families are calling on President Biden to help secure the release of Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed.

There are growing concerns about one American who risks being left behind as the U.S. moves to withdraw its military from Afghanistan.

The Biden administration must determine how to handle that commitment. Frerichs' supporters are concerned that a drawdown of military personnel from Afghanistan leaves the U.S. without the leverage it needs to demand his release. AdThe State Department is offering $5 million for information leading to Frerichs' return. We will not stop working until we secure his safe return home,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price. “You don’t leave Americans behind, and I just really want to make sure that he’s home safe.”AdBlinken told reporters Wednesday that the Biden administration wanted to take a detailed look at that deal, saying.

This image provided by Joey Reed, shows Trevor Reed and his mom Paula Reed in 2014 in Arlington, Texas. The parents of Trevor Reed spoke Monday to The Associated Press as a Russian court sentenced another American man to more than a decade in prison in an unrelated espionage case. They spoke out as a Russian court sentenced another American to more than a decade in prison in an unrelated espionage case. But instead of taking him for medical care, as the family says is standard protocol in Moscow, officers drove him to the police station. We would hope that Russian law is followed and due process is used in my sons case, Joey Reed said.

Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan speaks from inside a defendants' cage during a court hearing in Moscow, Russia, June 20, 2019. REUTERSMoscow A Russian court has upheld an earlier ruling allowing the extended detention of a former U.S. Marine jailed in Moscow on espionage charges. Moscow's appellate court rejected Paul Whelan's appeal Tuesday against the ruling last year that granted Russian authorities permission to keep him in custody until March 29, pending a trial. Paul Whelan, American accused of spying in Russia, to remain in prisonDays after he arrived in Russia, new U.S. Whelan's Russian lawyer Vladimir Zherebenkov said he and his team were almost done going over the case files with their client, all of which remain classified.

MOSCOW (CNN) - The US Embassy in Moscow on Friday formally requested "immediate" consular access to detained American citizen Paul Whelan over his allegations that he has been injured while in custody, according to embassy spokesperson Andrea Kalan. Whelan was detained in Russia late last year on espionage charges, an allegation he denies. At the end of the hearing at Moscow's Lefortovo court, the judge overseeing the case extended Whelan's detention until October 29. Friday's developments are the latest wrinkle in a case that has drawn international attention as questions persist over Whelan's treatment and the grounds of his arrest. The US Embassy first publicly protested Whelan's treatment in early July, and his family has said he needs more extensive medical care.