WNBA star Brittney Griner has reportedly been dealt with another blow in the hopes of returning to the US soon. The two-time Olympic winner recently began her nine-year prison sentence in Russia, after being detained earlier this year. She was recently transferred to the IK-2 penal colony in Russia where conditions are said to be very harsh. There were concerns about her safety and well-being in the penal colony by many of her supporters back home. Many celebrities and fans have voiced their frustration about the whole situation. Now, a fresh blow could be a hard one to take since it comes after a report that initially raised hopes.

A few weeks back, the comments of Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov gave hope to Griner and her family. He reportedly said talks of a potential prisoner swap between the two countries could one day become ?a concrete agreement.? But the comments of a Kremlin spokesperson since then have come as a hard hit to their hopes.

Prisoner swap talks for Brittney Griner stalled

As per reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that information regarding negotiations with the United States about prisoner swaps will not be made public. Furthermore, he added that Moscow is not planning to engage with the U.S. before the end of the year.

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?We do not talk about this and we urge everyone to be silent on this subject. Such matters can only be discussed in silence,? Peskov told?state news agency TASS.

So any prisoner swap talks might not begin before 2023, according to his comments. This undoubtedly comes as a huge blow for Brittney Griner, her family, and her friends who hoped to potentially see her back home by the end of the year.

After Griner lost her appeal, a prisoner swap deal looks like the only possible route to bring her back home now. She was recently transferred to a penal colony in Yavas. There have been reports about the severe conditions of various penal colonies in Russia. However, the conditions vary from one colony to the other.

As per?reports, the former WNBA champion could reportedly be forced to do 16 to 17 hours of intense labor. Also, homophobia and racism are supposedly quite common in the penal colonies as well. Furthermore, there are concerns about the health of the inmates without proper nutrition and access to proper medical treatment.

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The latest reports suggest Griner could have to wait longer until the US government is able to secure her freedom.