American basketball star Britney Griner has been sent to a Russian penal colony and served a drug possession sentence, her attorney team said Wednesday. dismissed the appeal against
The WNBA, where she has eight-time All-Star appearances and two-time Olympic gold medallist Phoenix Mercury, said on Aug. 4 that police found an electronic device containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Fined after discovering a cigarette canister.
Her arrest came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, days before Russia sent troops to Ukraine.
Griner’s defense team said she left the detention center on 4 November and went to a penal colony. This is a typical Russian prison where inmates work for minimum wage.
Her attorney said Wednesday that he did not know exactly where she was or where she would land, but expected to be notified when she reached her destination. Such transfers may take several days.
The 32-year-old elite player, who was arrested when she returned to play for the Russian team during the WNBA offseason, admitted she had a canister in her luggage.
However, she inadvertently packed her things in haste and testified that she had no criminal intent.
Her legal team filed a statement that she was prescribed cannabis to treat her pain.
White House Press Secretary Carine Jean-Pierre said: “One minute is too long for Britney Griner to be held illegally in Russia.”
“As previously stated, the U.S. government has made important proposals to the Russian people to resolve the current unacceptable and illegal detention of U.S. citizens,” the Associated Press and other news outlets said. , reported that Washington had proposed to Griner and Paul Whelan. — American serving his 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage — for Viktor Bout, who was once nicknamed “Merchant of Death” in exchange for his one-year sentence in America To.
