via Getty
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. – Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying in her luggage vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
via Getty
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. – Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying in her luggage vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence. (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
Latest reports reveal that WNBA star Brittney Griner is on her way to a penal colony in Russia.?Griner’s legal team shared this piece of information on November 9, 2022. Griner is apparently on her way to a penal colony after a Russian court rejected her appeal for her nine-year sentence.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Brittney Griner’s attorneys, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, released a statement on Wednesday regarding the new development in Griner’s case. The duo informed that the Phoenix Mercury star was removed from the detention center about five days ago.
“Brittney was transferred from the detention center in Iksha on the 4th November. She is now on her way to a penal colony. We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” said Griner’s attorneys.
READ MORE -?Haunting 4-Word Message From Brittney Griner Troubles Wife and Supporters
Griner had appealed to the Russian court after she was sentenced to nine years in prison in August. Griner attended the court hearing through video conference from her cell. Griner’s legal team asked the court to reconsider her punishment. They stated that several convicts who had committed more serious crimes have walked out with lesser punishments. However, Griner’s case came to no avail as the court remained adamant on its decision.
The US government’s stance on the Brittney Griner case
Russian authorities detained?Brittney Griner at a Moscow airport in February 2022. Griner was found with cannabis oil in her luggage, a substance illegal in Russia. Upon questioning, Griner stated that her doctor had prescribed it for her for stress-related issues. Following her arrest, Griner spent several months in a detention center. The WNBA champion’s appeal was denied on October 25, 2022.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Additionally, President Biden declared Griner’s case a top priority. US officials informed that they had made an offer to the Russian government. They had proposed to transfer Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer currently in prison in the US, ?in a prisoner exchange for Griner and another US citizen, Paul Whelan.
WATCH THIS STORY:?Did WNBA star Brittney Griner date 7-ft Lakers center, Anthony Davis??
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Several sports personalities such as Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving have been vocal about Brittney Griner’s situation, demanding that she be returned home safely immediately. Additionally, they announced that they wouldn’t let Griner’s case die down with time and would continue to bring her name up.
The latest reports will undoubtedly come as a major cause of concern for Griner and her supporters.
