US basketball player Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for possession of a small amount of cannabis oil. According to her lawyers, she is now being transferred from prison to a penal camp.
The nightmare experienced by US basketball player Brittney Griner in Russia never ends. According to her lawyers, she was taken from a prison near Moscow on November 4 and is “on her way to a penal colony”. However, they currently have no information about their current whereabouts or their “final destination”.
Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison for drug smuggling in August. At the end of October, the 32-year-old WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist failed with an appeal. According to their lawyers, Russian authorities usually send notifications of prisoner transfers by post, which could take up to two weeks.
The US basketball player, who also plays in Yekaterinburg, Russia, was arrested on arrival at a Moscow airport in February after cartridges for e-cigarettes with small amounts of cannabis oil were found in her luggage. Griner says he took the cannabis to relieve pain from sports injuries. However, medical use of the drug is also illegal in Russia.
US government is working hard to get Brittney Griner released
Griner’s case had caused outrage in the United States. The US government is trying to get the basketball player released. The struggle for the imprisoned athlete is taking place against the background of massive tensions between Washington and Moscow over the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The Russian government was open to talks about a prisoner exchange in August, but there are no signs of progress on the matter.
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated Wednesday that the US had made a “substantial offer” to Russia to resolve Griner’s case. “Every minute Brittney Griner has to spend in unlawful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” said Jean-Pierre.
According to reports, Griner and former US soldier Paul Whelan could be traded for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US.
Source: Stern
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