How a prisoner swap for Brittney Griner could happen
Post Reports
The Washington Post
4.4 • 5.1K Ratings
🗓️ 8 August 2022
⏱️ 29 minutes
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Summary
What we know about the often clandestine operation of how countries trade prisoners, and what that means for WNBA star Brittney Griner. And Jason Rezaian weighs the U.S. response to hostage-taking by hostile governments.
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With the sentencing of Brittney Griner last week, the clock started ticking on potential U.S. negotiations with Russia to secure the release of the WNBA star and another American, security consultant Paul Whelan. But how do prisoner swaps actually work? What are the considerations both countries have to weigh before agreeing? And what happens after a deal is made? Senior national security correspondent Karen DeYoung breaks down the ins and outs of prisoner swaps.
Also, Post Opinions writer Jason Rezaian – who was released as part of a prisoner swap after spending 544 days in an Iranian prison – talks about the growing problem of Americans being taken hostage by hostile governments and what to expect in the Griner case. “I'm asked often if I'm for or against these kinds of exchanges,” he said. “My answer is, that's not the right question. The right question is … ‘What are we doing to deter hostage-taking in the first place?’”
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This podcast is supported by Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy, |
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| 0:18.7 | I've never meant to hurt anybody, I've never meant to put in jeopardy the rest of the population. |
| 0:25.1 | I've never meant to break any laws here. |
| 0:27.0 | That's WNBA, star Brittany Griner. |
| 0:31.0 | Tearfully pleading with a Russian judge in Court last week. |
| 0:35.0 | I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here. |
| 0:43.0 | The words she said didn't ultimately sway the court. |
| 0:47.0 | She was sentenced to nine and a half years in a Russian penal colony. |
| 0:51.0 | After she brought less than a gram of cannabis oil into the country, |
| 0:55.0 | that sentence it devastated her family, her fans, her teammates. |
| 1:01.0 | But as national security correspondent Karen D. Young explains, |
| 1:05.0 | the harsh sentence also meant something else. |
| 1:09.0 | The Russians have said that they would not entertain any negotiations |
| 1:15.0 | over her release until after her sentencing. |
| 1:19.0 | So we can anticipate now that those negotiations hopefully will move forward. |
| 1:24.0 | Now the clock is ticking. |
| 1:26.0 | Exactly. |
| 1:28.0 | From the newsroom of the Washington Post, this is Post Reports. |
| 1:32.0 | I'm Ella Hay-Ezadi in for Martin Powers. |
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