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Nevada Boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. says he’s willing to personally get involved in the Brittney Griner case and will talk to President Putin himself to get the WNBA star back home.
“If I go there, if this doesn’t work, I will go to Mr. Putin myself,” said Jones, who holds dual American and Russian citizenship.
Jones won the WBA heavyweight title in 2003, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years
“I know you gave me Russian citizenship, but I need one more favor. I need something to happen so we can get this girl back home,” said Jones, directing his comments to Putin.
Jones made the remarks while in Las Vegas attending his induction to the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame.
“Right now, I’m hearing they’re trying to do a prisoner swap. If they do the prisoner swap, that will be good. If the prisoner swap does not work then you have to understand that I’m a diplomatic type of person,” Jones told LVSportsbiz.com. “I don’t get into politics, but my friends are my friends.”
Both Russia and the U.S have confirmed that negotiations between Washington and Moscow on a prisoner exchange are underway, for a deal to release Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Jones said he is optimistic that Griner will be returned to the United States.
Meanwhile, in the latest episode of The Chris Cuomo Project, former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson told Cuomo that he is also optimistic about the Brittney Griner negotiations, in which Richardson is involved.
“The fact that they started negotiating two months ago despite the toxic situation with the war and with Griner’s lawyers handing it well, acknowledging the error…” said Richardson.
Griner was sentenced to nine years in Russia for possession of less than a gram of cannabis oil she’d inadvertently left in her suitcase when returning to Russia where she was playing for the national team for the past seven years.
Photo: Wikipedia
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Image and article originally from www.benzinga.com. Read the original article here.