One of the most successful players in female basketball, the double Olympic champion plays the Women's NBA (WNBA) off-season in Russia. Her trial began on 1 July with the Russian government presenting evidence that the WNBA star bought two cartridges for personal use, which contained 0.252 grams and 0.45 grams of hash oil, according to a courtroom report from state news agency Tass. Bout, but U.S. officials are reluctant to take any steps that could be seen as risking the safety of Americans. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox. The images, distributed by Russian News Agency TASS, expose the tiny bed the 6-foot-9 WNBA basketball star was forced to sleep in, along with the bland-looking meals she consumed at Women's . 2. Griner, 31, is a prominent star in her field yet her arrest and detention have not raised anywhere near the international response it should have. Got a confidential news tip? Ms Griners family, friends and fans alongside many public figures have been calling on Russia to free her for months and for the US State Department to intervene. The club has drawn other top U.S. basketball players including Sue . Svetlana Olegovna Abrosimova is at tenth position on the list of Top 10 Russian Female Basketball Players. Kalugina was also quoted as saying the US consul has not visited the 31-year-old, despite Russian authorities willingness to create all conditions for their visit. The Russian authorities have not disclosed Ms. Griners whereabouts, but The New York Times was able to identify the prison from a photograph published online by a visitor, and the location was confirmed by a person familiar with the case. Griner was making $1 million-$1.5 million playing for oligarch-funded UMMC Ekaterinburg, a superpower that has long shelled out top dollar for the world's best women's players. American women's basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted of deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia and sentenced to nine years of jail time Thursday in a case that has raised concerns. She is now on her way to a penal colony. U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner pleaded guilty in a Russian court on Thursday to drugs charges that could see her face 10 years in prison, a Reuters journalist reported from the courtroom, b Cherelle Griner said Brittney Griner had vowed, I wont let them break me., But Brittney Griner is struggling, her wife said. Lets share a unified commitment to bringing all Americans home to their families and loved ones., Ms Griner addressed Mr Biden directly in a letter prior to her July trial, writing: As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, Im terrified I might be here forever.. WNBA star Brittney Griner is in a Russian jail. She won 8 medals in international competitions for Russia. The cell has a separate private washroom, she said, something of a novelty for Russian prisons. News of Griners condition comes after a Moscow court announced it extended the arrest of Griner until May 19, according to Russian state news agency TASS. QUESTIONS and ANSWERS. The detainment of Griner occurred during a . I look forward to the day my wife is back home., As my family and I continue on this journey, Id like to thank the broad coalition of friends, leaders and supporters who continue to stand with us and advocate for Brittneys swift and safe return, she added. I need time to prepare., In early August, Ms Griner was sentenced to nine years behind bars. She never made it to the Urals. Grinner has been detained in Russia . "Lindz, it . Cherelle Griner and others have questioned whether the Biden administration is doing enough to secure Brittney Griners release, a view the State Department seemed determined on Friday to dispel. Marina Mabrey of the W.N.B.A.s Dallas Wings wearing shoes with the initials BG in support of Ms. Griner during a game last month. Brittney Griner #15 of Team United States prepares to shoot a free throw against Nigeria during the second half of a Women's Preliminary Round Group B game on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on July 27, 2021 in Saitama, Japan. Lauren Coontz. But female basketball players are paid a fraction of what their male counterparts make in the United States, so Ms. Griner, like many others, has also played during the W.N.B.A. Michael Gonzales | National Basketball Association | Getty Images. The WNBA's. The WNBA star has spent the last 10 months in prison in Russia after she was detained at an airport back in February for allegedly carrying illegal cannibas oil in her luggage. Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, did not deny the reports of Griner's detention. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long. The swap occurred at the Abu Dhabi airport, and President Joe Biden said Griner is on a plane to the . Brittney Griner, the superstar American basketball player who was arrested and detained by customs agents at a Moscow airport a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, could face up to 10 years in prison if a Russian court convicts her of drug smuggling charges. Ms. Griner, who plays center for the Phoenix Mercury of the W.N.B.A., is a seven-time league All-Star, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the first openly gay athlete signed to an endorsement contract by Nike. Why was . Video footage of the prison available online shows tall, gray walls, old prison bars and a rusty monument to Lenin in the courtyard. Brittney Griner, 32, has finally been freed from Russian prison after US officials negotiated a prisoner swap with Moscow for notorious arms dealer Victor Bout. Detained American basketball player Brittney Griner was found to be in good condition by a U.S. Embassy official in Moscow who was granted access to her on Wednesday. Brittney Griner, an eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, was found guilty of drug charges in Russia and sentenced to nine and a half years in prison in August . Photos and videos have offered brief public glimpses of Ms. Griner arriving in court and leaving. In a court in Khimki, outside of Moscow, on Friday, Ms. Griner cut an incongruous figure, as always towering above everyone else as she was led in, her long, tattooed arms cuffed together and cuffed to the arm of a guard. My colleague was calling from the East Coast. All Rights Reserved. "The marketing around women's basketball and the investment in female athletes is getting much better; people are starting to put their money where their mouth is," Stewart said. For the first day of her trial, she wore a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt and athletic shoes without laces. Brittney is doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong as she adapts to a new environment, her lawyers said in a statement. Link copied. Griner, 31, won Olympic gold medals with the U.S. national teams in 2016 and 2021 and is a seven-time All-Star. She cant speak to anyone because she doesnt speak the language. 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Thousands of Russian women have passed through it, along with at least one other well-known foreigner: Naama Issachar, an Israeli-American arrested in April 2019 when the Russian police said they had found 9.5 grams one-third of an ounce of marijuana in her luggage as she was connecting at a Moscow airport. A week into Brittney Griner's trial in Russian court, the American basketball star pleaded guilty to carrying cannabis oil in her luggage and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted . Supporters of Ms Griner, alongside her family and friends, called for her release for months. Its not just that she cant speak to her loved ones. Griner plays for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg. Meanwhile, Moscow and Kyiv have carried out several prisoner swaps during the war. Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan, in an earlier statement, described Griners conditions as intolerable. Trans Texans Russia's arrest of Brittney Griner, WNBA basketball star from Houston, adds to escalating global conflict The athlete, who is Black and gay, was detained by Putin's regime, which. A court in Moscow has previous announced that it has extended Griner's detention until May 19 while authorities continue to investigate. Ive felt every minute of the grueling seven months without her. She currently plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg, a women's basketball team that competes in the Russian Premier League. Brittney Griner arriving at court on Friday. We want to hear from you. Her lawyer, Aleksandr Boikov, said this week that he expected the trial to last up to two months. She is safe. Detained American basketball player Brittney Griner was found to be in good condition by a U.S. Embassy official in Moscow who was granted access to her on Wednesday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said. After more than four months languishing in a Russian prison, and speaking no Russian, Ms. Griner, 31, went on trial, accused of carrying into the country vape cartridges with traces 0.7 grams, the prosecutor said of cannabis oil. Known as "BG" to basketball fans, she has played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA winter off-season since 2014. WNBA star Brittney Griner, 31, has been detained in Russia since February after drugs were allegedly found in her luggage by officials at a Moscow airport. The American basketball star Brittney Griner has endured months in a Russian prison and the threat of years more, a wartime bargaining chip between Moscow and Washington. Griners lawyers say they do not know her final destination but in line with Russian procedures, they and the United States embassy should be informed upon her arrival. Shes telling me shes OK, her wife, Cherelle, who has been able to communicate with her only through letters, said in a recent radio interview with the Rev. Its the most audacious hostage taking by a state imaginable, Rezaian told CNN. The eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Defensive Player of the Year played for the Phoenix Mercury. I didnt want to break the law, Ms Griner said, speaking English which was then translated into Russian for the court. There have been a lot of allegations of planting of substances on people, particularly on the part of human rights advocates, says Peter Maggs, a law professor at the University of Illinois and an expert on Russias civil code. She also formerly competed with the US Olympic basketball team in 2016 winning gold at the Rio Games and picking up her second winners medal in Tokyo last summer. Penal colonies in Russia, where prisoners are required to perform work, are infamous for their harsh living conditions. Griner, one of the top women's basketball players in the world, has been detained in Russia since mid-February, when she was picked up in a Moscow-area airport after being accused of. off-season in overseas leagues where the contracts are far more lucrative. Griner, a member of the Phoenix Mercury, was playing . On March 5, Russian state TV released an undated photo of Griner taken at a police . The inmates wake up, have breakfast in their cell usually some basic food and then go for a walk in the prisons courtyard, which is covered by a net. In 2014, the American Iranian journalist Jason Rezaian was detained in Tehran and spent 544 days in Irans notorious Evin Prison. The Washington Post reporter was eventually released in January 2016, and he says he sees many parallels between his case and Griners. WNBA star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges 02:19 Watch F-16s escort the Polish soccer team to the World Cup 00:47 CNN US basketball star Brittney Griner 's legal team has. TASS also quoted Ekaterina Kalugina, who it said represented Moscows Public Monitoring Commission (ONK), which observes the treatment of prisoners. In April, the Biden administration secured the release of Trevor R. Reed, a former U.S. Marine held for two years in Russia on what his family said were bogus charges of assault, in a swap for a Russian pilot sentenced to a lengthy prison term in the United States on cocaine trafficking charges. On Thursday (8 December), US officials confirmed that Ms Griner had finally been released in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Two-time Olympic gold medallist Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February on drug charges [File: Brian Snyder/Reuters] 1 Apr 2022 Brittney Griner's teammates have broken. - YouTube What happened to the female basketball player in Russia? The State Department in February warned Americans against going there, noting arrests of US citizens on spurious charges.. Enjoy! Brittney Griner arrived in Russia in February to play basketball, one of the sports biggest stars. WNBA stars like Ms Griner typically make, on average, a mere 1.5 per cent of the salary that their male counterparts in the NBA make in a year, so playing outside of the US often helps make up for that pay disparity. With little information to go on, Ms. Griners supporters worry about her physical and emotional health and how she is being treated an openly gay, Black American in a culturally conservative country that has adopted anti-gay laws, has few Black people and sees the United States as its nemesis. Yet her story isn't keeping dozens of American players from planning to play in Russia. Al Sharpton. Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune, via Associated Press, accused of carrying into the country vape cartridges, Russia portrayed him as an innocent victim of American injustice. Brittney was transferred from the detention centre in Iksha on the 4th November. According to . April 26, 2022, 5:00 AM. She is doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances and asked me to convey that she is in good spirits and is keeping up the faith., The Russian Federation has wrongfully detained Ms. Griner, she said, adding, the U.S. government at the very highest levels is working very hard to bring Ms. Griner as well as all wrongfully detained U.S. citizens safely home.. Though all three players currently signed to league marketing deals were 2021 All-Stars, none boasts the name recognition and star power of players like Griner or Stewart. March 8, 2022 Updated 11:38 AM PST. Her trial. She was convicted of drug charges and is serving nine years in jail. In a news conference on Friday, Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlins spokesman, denied that the case was politically motivated, or that the government was even involved. Experts say these players risk the same fate as Griner . By Anton Troianovski and Ivan Nechepurenko. Ms Griners lawyer, Alexandr Boykov, toldThe New York Times that his client has not been in as good condition as I could sometimes find her in in recent weeks. She has been held in Correctional Colony No. Here in the states, Brain-Dead Biden and his administration alleged they were working to get her released . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. A Russian court has set the start date of the criminal trial of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for July 1. Many American athletes travel overseas during the US off-season to continue competing in their chosen sport. American basketball player Brittney Griner has been moved to a penal colony in Russia, her lawyers said, after a court rejected her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession last month. She was a member of the Russian national basketball team that participated in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Russian penal colonies are known for their harsh conditions, as prisoners are forced to work. She filed an appeal of her conviction, which was taken up at a hearing on 25 October. REUTERS The 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury basketball star was arrested in Russia last month after Russian officials allegedly found vape cartridges in her luggage and accused her of attempting to smuggle . Russia has yet to positively respond to the offer. The Kremlin has pressed for years for the release of Mr. Russia has a history of making false charges in other cases, experts say. American basketball player Brittney Griner detained in Russia 03:16. US officials revealed on Thursday that, following weeks of negotiations, a one-for-one swap had been carried out, exchanging the 32-year-old American basketball star for Bout. Earlier this year, women's basketball player Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia and sentenced to nine years behind bars. Rivers, 35, came to Russia in August, while Ms. Griner was on trial, to play for the team of Samara, a provincial capital more than 500 miles east of Moscow . I know from my own case that the supposed charges against me were not based in anything like reality, and they were used to perpetuate a narrative about why I was being held.. WNBA player Brittney Griner is currently detained in Russia. But that doesnt mean that were not still in negotiations and were not still trying.. Updated More than 40,000 people have signed a petition calling for Griner's freedom, noting that female basketball players are often forced to play overseas to supplement their income as they are paid far less than their male counterparts. On Wednesday, former first lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton became the latest US politician to call for her release, sharing an article on Griner with the caption Free Brittney in a post on Twitter. Griner, a 6-foot-9 native of Houston, is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a center for the Phoenix Mercury who played for a Russian basketball team during the WNBA's offseason. The off-season foreign leagues provide American athletes with additional money-making opportunities and a chance to keep their skills sharp through continuous competition. According to Russian authorities, the two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested on allegations of drug smuggling significant amounts of narcotic substance at a Moscow airport. It can take up to two weeks to receive the notification. All Rights Reserved. The WNBA said last week it was working with the U.S. government to get Griner freed after the TASS news agency said her detention for possession of vape cartridges containing hash oil was extended until May 19. Since February, Griner's been detained in Russia. As we have said before, the US government made a significant offer to the Russians to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens.. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. Svetlana Abrosimova. Griner, an Olympic gold medalist and All-Star player, has been detained in a Russian prison during a time of heightened tensions between the United States and Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. In late July, the Biden administration offered a deal to exchange prisoners with Russia to secure Griners release. Aerial Powers of the W.N.B.A.s Minnesota Lynx wearing a shirt in support of Ms. Griner before a game last month. Russia must abide by its legal obligations and allow us to provide consular services for U.S. citizens detained in Russia.. AP Cherelle Griner discusses the release by Russia of her wife, WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S. Dec. 8, 2022. Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. Nicknamed the merchant of death, the Russian arms dealer is serving a 25-year sentence in the US. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Her detainment occurred shortly before Russia launched its war in Ukraine, with geopolitical tensions making it undoubtedly more difficult to secure her release. appreciated. From Star Athlete to Political Pawn: Griner Goes on Trial in Russia, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/world/europe/brittney-griner-trial-russia.html. But a Moscow . The Russian Customs Service said this month that a player was detained in February after arriving at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on a flight from New York. Here's everything we know about the ordeal: Ms Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team as a centre. Al Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human Rights. It was an honor to speak with him directly about the Brittney we know and love. Detained American basketball player Brittney Griner was found to be in good condition by a U.S. Embassy official in Moscow who was granted access to her on Wednesday. She is on her way home.. The American basketball player K.C. Griner, a WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medallist, was arrested in Russia, where the offence can mean years in prison, and at a moment when tensions with the U.S. were rising to their . The WNBA star has spent the last . None are playing in Russia, for obvious reasons - Griner's ordeal and the country's ongoing war with Ukraine - but 67 of the league's 144 players are in Australia, Turkey, Italy and about a half . . On 17 February, Ms Griner was traveling through the Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow when Russian customs officials allegedly found cartridges containing the offending hashish oil in her luggage. The mother said that Naama Issachar had been treated relatively well by her cellmates, but that she feared that Ms. Griner, as a gay woman, could be treated worse because of Russias conservative attitudes and discriminatory laws on homosexuality. Ms Griner had been in Russia to play basketball in the Russian Premier League. "This continues to be a complex situation that is extremely difficult for Brittney, her family and all who are hoping for a swift resolution," it said in a statement Wednesday. OPINION: Brittney Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and stand-out player for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury basketball team was recently arrested in Russia on drug charges. I did have the opportunity to speak with Ms. Griner in the courtroom, Ms. Rood said. Brittney Griner, 32, has finally been freed from Russian prison after US officials negotiated a prisoner swap with Moscow for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout.. Ms. Griners arrest on Feb. 17 a week before the start of Russias invasion of Ukraine pulled her into the maw of geopolitics as President Vladimir V. Putin faced a determined Western effort to help Ukraine fight back. In a telephone interview from Israel, her mother, Yaffa Issachar, said that her daughter had cried when she heard about Ms. Griners case, telling her: I know what shes going through now.. There is somebody watching them, she said, but at least its a human she can talk to.. The State Department has been pushing Russian authorities for access to the sports star. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis. Griner has played with the team since 2015 during the WNBA offseason. On November 3, officials from the US embassy in Moscow met with imprisoned Griner, promising to keep pushing for her release. On 17 November, Griner was relocated to a penal colony in Mordovia, about 350 kilometers (210 miles) east of Moscow. 94 Comments. Ms. Griner said that she understood the charges but would express her response to them later, the agency said. Mr Kirby made the comments just before President Joe Biden met with Ms Griners family, including her wife Cherelle. Reporting was contributed by Michael Crowley, Isabel Kershner, Jonathan Abrams and Tania Ganguli. Earlier this month, Allred told ESPN that Griner had not been granted consular access a circumstance he called really unusual.. She is an accomplished basketball player, earning a Best Female Athlete award at the ESPYs and an endorsement deal with Nike in 2013. American officials have not confirmed any talks about exchanging Ms. Griner. The session, conducted in Russian with a few journalists and three U.S. embassy officials present, was quickly adjourned after some expected witnesses failed to show up. Basketball star Brittney Griner is the latest American to be detained in Russia as supporters work desperately to free them, We have repeatedly asked for consular access to these detainees and have consistently been denied access, the official said. Washington has demanded his release. For Ms. Griner, every day there looks pretty much the same, said Yekaterina Kalugina, a journalist and member of a public prison monitoring group who has visited Ms. Griner in the prison. Tass reported in May that officials were in talks to exchange Ms. Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in a U.S. federal prison for conspiring to sell weapons to people who said they planned to kill Americans. But there was no intent. She sat in the defendants cage with a bottle of water and a bag of cookies, and told a reporter that detention was hard because of the language barrier and a lack of exercise, Reuters reported. 2022 CNBC LLC. Feb. 24: Russia launched a full-scale military attack against Ukraine, prompting the U.S. and other countries to issue severe sanctions against Russia. In June, the White House offered to exchange Ms Griner and another detained American, Paul Whelan, for Viktor Bout, an infamous Russian arms dealer serving a federal prison sentence in the US for conspiring to sell arms to a Colombian rebel group deemed a terrorist organisation. Griner, an Olympic gold. TASS said the Khimkinsky court of the Moscow region ruled to detain Griner. (CNN) A month after US basketball star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia, it's still not clear exactly where she's being held. The WNBA player was arrested more than four months ago at a Moscow . The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the US citizen Griner until May 19, the court said, per TASS. That's about $500,000 to $1 million of lost revenue per year the women are going overseas to make up. American basketball player Brittney Griner has been moved to a penal colony in Russia, her lawyers said, after a court rejected her appeal of a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession. In 2020, Whelan was convicted by Russia of spying and jailed for 16 years, an accusation he has denied. "These realities are not the fault of the players and they do not deserve to be entangled in geopolitical turmoil for doing so," said the creators of the . Did you encounter any technical issues? USA Basketball, the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA), the Phoenix Mercury and the WNBA players union have all publicly shared their concerns for Griner. Brittney Griner arrived in Russia in February to play basketball, one of the sport's biggest stars. Moscow said it traded the U.S. basketball star for arms dealer and Russian citizen Viktor Bout. The US State Department official told CNN on Thursday that Russia must provide consular access to Griner and all US citizens detained in Russia, including those in pretrial detention. The athlete, who is Black. Brittney Griner runs up court during a U.S. women's basketball gold-medal game against Japan at the Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 8, 2021. Russias invasion of Ukraine makes everything more difficult, observers say. Ms Griner reportedly earns $1m per season she plays in Russia while her base salary at the Phoenix Mercury is said to be $221,450. In a legal system that rarely finds defendants anything but guilty, she faces up to 10 years in a penal colony if convicted. 1, or IK-1, in the village of Novoye Grishino, a 50-mile drive from central Moscow a former orphanage, converted a decade ago to hold women serving prison sentences or awaiting trial. Bureaucratic relations have forced an eerie silence around Griner's detention and in doing so exposed the inequalities Griner faces as a queer Black woman. Washington had reportedly offered to swap Griner and Paul Whelan an American serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage for Viktor Bout. The entrance to the Russian penal colony IK-2, where Griner began serving her sentence. Washington and Moscow had been negotiating the one-for-one swap for several weeks, before Mr Biden gave the final sign-off over the last week. She previously played college basketball for the Baylor Lady Bears in Waco, Texas. In mid-September, US officials said Russia hasnt responded to the offer. American basketball star Brittney Griner appeared in a Russian court via video link to contest whether her arrest on drug charges was legal, the first step in what is expected to be a long journey . This happened after Russian airport authorities discovered vape cartridges with cannabis oil on her person. US basketball star Brittney Griners legal team has seen her several times a week throughout her detention in Russia and they reported that she is well, a source close to the situation told CNN on Thursday. Most of the players who choose to play overseas get only a week or two off between the end . US Rep. Colin Allred of Texas said she was arrested February 17. The exchange took place in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. The . Griners wife, Cherelle Griner, has publicly called for Brittneys release. March 5, 2022, 4:38 PM UTC . Considered by many to be the greatest female . The rest of the day is filled with reading books Ms. Griner has been reading Dostoyevsky in translation, for instance and watching television, though all of the channels are in Russian, Ms. Kalugina said. We have made a serious offer to get Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan back home, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on 16 September. On Monday, U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner appealed to President Joe Biden to secure her release from jail in Russia, admitting in a handwritten letter that she was "terrified" that she. 2022 Cable News Network. Key Points. Ms. Ishaffar suggested that Ms. Griners family find a priest who could visit her. US basketball player Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for drug possession and smuggling.President Biden said the sentence. Shes a human, shes there terrified, shes there alone, Cherelle Griner said. She arrived in a courtroom outside Moscow on Friday as something else entirely a potential. "The reality is, she's over there. WASHINGTON Russia said on Saturday that it had detained an American basketball player quickly identified as Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner on drug charges, entangling a U.S.. Critics blasted the deal the Biden administration made to get WNBA player Brittney Griner back to her home in the U.S. after she was sentenced to Russian prison for nine years on drug-related . w/ Elizabeth 6 subscribers Subscribe 0 No. I want to thank President Biden for yesterdays meeting as well as the Administration for its efforts to secure my wifes release, Cherelle Griner wrote in the caption of an Instagram post with a photo of herself and the president. Brittney Griner, 32, has finally been freed from Russian prison after US officials negotiated a prisoner swap with Moscow for notorious arms dealer Victor Bout. Fans scrutinize the images, which some have described as heartbreaking, for clues to her well-being in the expressions behind her round glasses. A court advocate said Griner should be kept under house arrest because their jail beds are a foot too short for Griner, who is 6 feet 9 inches tall, according to the Russian news service RIA Novosti. Here are the latest details on the evolving situation. (Charlie Neibergall / Associated Press) I woke up to the phone ringing just after 5 a.m. in Portland. A Warner Bros. MOSCOW Shackled and looking wary, WNBA star Brittney Griner was ordered to stand trial Friday by a court near Moscow on cannabis possession charges, about 4 1/2 months after her arrest at an . Grinner has been detained in Russia since February. The trial resumed on 7 July, with Ms Griner clutching a photo of her wife Cherelle. "Within the past couple hours, an official from our embassy has been granted consular access to Brittney Griner," Price said in an interview with CNN. Ms. Issachar was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on drug possession and smuggling charges, and Israeli officials and her family said the Kremlin had tied her fate to that of a Russian being held in Israel. A photo of Brittney Griner, who is reportedly being detained in Russia on drug smuggling charges, was aired on Russian state . The Penal Colony 1 in Novoye Grishino, where Ms. Griner is being held, in January 2020. No exchange was made Israel extradited the Russian detainee to the United States to face computer crime charges but Mr. Putin, who was cultivating ties to Israel, pardoned Ms. Issachar 10 months after she was arrested. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Agence France-Presse Getty Images. But reports in Russian state media indicate that Moscow sees Ms. Griner as a valuable asset in its confrontation with the United States, which is leading Western efforts to help Ukraine resist the Russian invasion. The detention of Brittney Griner, the WNBA professional basketball player from Houston who was arrested in Russia more than four months ago, has been extended by six months pending the. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Griner is a center for WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and has played in Russia for the last . Despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the US government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels, Jean-Pierre said. In five games this season, she has averaged 13.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. She plays center for the Phoenix Mercury and plays in Russia during the WNBA's winter off-season. Only the court can pass a verdict, he said. Legal experts say Ms. Griners trial was all but certain to end in a conviction despite the clamor in the United States for her release. She arrived in a courtroom outside Moscow on Friday as something else entirely a potential bargaining chip in Russias tense standoff with the West over the war in Ukraine, described by supporters as a hostage of the Kremlin. Ms Griner plays in the EuroLeague team UMMC Ekaterinburg . WNBA star arrested in Russia on drug charges 03:53. What we know (and don't know) about the arrest of US Olympic champion Brittney Griner in Russia. She has been touted in Russian state media as an asset who could be traded for a Russian arms dealer sitting in an American prison. A prosecutor told the court that Ms. Griner was aware enough that transporting narcotics into Russia was forbidden, according to the state-owned Russian news agency Tass. Griner was arrested at Moscows airport for possessing banned vape cartridges containing cannabis oil on February 17, a week before Russias war in Ukraine. The WNBA said it continued to work with government officials and others to get her home safely. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken tweeted, We and I personally have no higher priority than bringing her and other wrongfully detained Americans back home. "We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal. Professional U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner will remain jailed in Russia for at least two more months following her detention at a Moscow airport in February for alleged drug possession . A scan of the player's luggage revealed cartridges containing "liquid with hashish oil", and a criminal case has been opened carrying a possible sentence of five to 10 years in prison, the customs service said. The courthouse in Khimki, outside of Moscow, where Ms. Griner is on trial. WNBA star Brittney Griner has been released from Russian detention, President Joe Biden said Thursday.. Griner was released in a prisoner swap that involved Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.The . As tensions between the U.S. and Russia continue to rise amid the latter's invasion of Ukraine, an American WNBA star has been detained in Russia for months.Brittney Griner, the two-time Olympic gold-medalist who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and for Russia's UMMC Ekaterinburg during the off-season, was arrested on drug charges in February after customs found vape cartridges in . "Our official found Brittney Griner to be in good condition and we will continue to do everything we can to see to it that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal.". Her defence team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain. According to TASS, Kalugina visited Griner at her pretrial detention center. Though Russias drug laws can carry harsh penalties, a foreigner caught with a small amount would usually face no more than a month in jail, a fine and deportation, but Mr. Putins government has a long history of using detention for international leverage, sometimes to obtain the release of a Russian held abroad. Russia called for "quiet diplomacy" but said after Griner was sentenced that it was ready to discuss a deal. Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury warms up before the game against the Chicago Sky during Game One of the 2021 WNBA Finals on October 10, 2021 at Footprint in Phoenix, Arizona. Brittney Griner was the first openly gay athlete to be endorsed by Nike. We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination, a statement from her legal team said on Wednesday. A Division of NBCUniversal. The two-time Olympic gold medallist pleaded guilty, saying she had made an honest mistake by inadvertently packing them in haste. The WNBA star has spent the last 10. KHIMKI, Russia, Aug 4 (Reuters) - A Russian court sentenced U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison on Thursday after. Anyone can read what you share. FILE - US women's basketball players Brittney Griner, left, and Maya Moore board a bus at the airport after arriving at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 3, 2016. The trial is set to resume next Thursday. Despite all this, Ms Griner had a second job, and that was why she had flown to Russia - to play for EuroLeague team UMMC . They cite her linguistic isolation and the near-certainty that she is being held in conditions not designed to accommodate her 6-foot-9 frame. It was not clear exactly when Griner was detained, but it was announced after Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, which dramatically worsened relations between Washington and Moscow. What happened to the female basketball player in Russia? On August 4, Griner was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony for possessing and smuggling drugs. (She said that Ms. Griners prison mattress was too small for someone her size.). The source added that the Russian investigation is ongoing, and a trial date has not been set. Ms Griner was taken into custody at the airport on charges of large-scale transportation of illegal narcotics, which carried a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Her detainment occurred shortly before. Id like to plead guilty, your honour. She played for two seasons in China, and since 2014 she has played in Russia, for UMMC Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains. WNBA star Brittney Griner has been moved to a Russian forced labor camp, nearly nine months after the basketball player was arrested in Russia for allegedly possessing cannabis oil. Brittney Griner, of the United States Women's Basketball team, during the gold-medal match against Japan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Saitama, Japan on Aug. 8, 2021. 10. CNNs Rosa Flores contributed to this report. She is on a plane. Griner, an Olympic gold medalist and All-Star player, has been detained in a Russian prison. Brittney Griner runs up court during a U.S. women's basketball gold-medal game against Japan at the Tokyo Olympics on Aug. 8, 2021. They are allowed to shower only twice a week. Original news of Griner's detainment came amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which led to many WNBA players leaving those countries. Basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February, when vape cartridges containing hashish oil were allegedly found in her luggage. On Feb. 17, she landed at Moscows Sheremetyevo International Airport, where her bags were searched. Mr Biden celebrated the news on Twitter, along with photos of himself, with Ms Griners wife Cerelle Griner, and Vice President Kamala Harris at the Oval Office. The Russians have not responded to that offer. Elizabeth Rood, the charg daffaires at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, attended the trial and talked with reporters afterward. Its inhumane on all types of levels.. Id like to give my testimony later. By The Athletic Staff. Discovery Company. In October, 218 detainees, including 108 Ukrainian women, were exchanged in the biggest prisoner swap so far. 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