WNBA Star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drugs charges *Sentenced to 9 years jail

[Kurve]

Seven-times WNBA All-Star player Brittney Griner was arrested some time in February after officials at Moscow airport found what they said was cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.

She's sharing a cell with two others and at 2m tall (6'9") the beds are too short for her.



The Russian Customs Service said on Saturday she had cartridges that contained oil derived from cannabis — an offence that could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Without identifying Griner, a centre for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, said a player was detained in February after arriving at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on a flight from New York.

Russian news agency TASS identified the player as Griner, citing a source.

"We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA," Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said.

"As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern."

On Saturday, the State Department issued a "do not travel" advisory for Russia because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Washington urged all US citizens to depart immediately, citing factors including "the potential for harassment against US citizens by Russian government security officials" and "the embassy's limited ability to assist" Americans in Russia.

Griner has played in Russia during the winter for the past seven years, earning more than $US1 million ($1.36 million) per season — more than quadruple her WNBA salary.

WNBA's Brittney Griner arrested in Russia over cannabis vaping oil

Two-time Olympic gold medallist basketballer Brittney Griner faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison after being arrested at a Moscow airport.

www.abc.net.au

 

[Kurve]

At a joint press conference with Moldova President Maia Sandu, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Biden administration had assigned an embassy team to work on her case.

Griner has won Olympic gold medals with the US national teams in 2016 and 2021.

 

[jason_recliner]

How is a basketball salary in Russia quadruple what she gets paid in the USA? Crazy.

 

[Kurve]

The trial date is set down for July 1st.

Brittney Griner trial date set in Russian system with 1% acquittal rate

More than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport for cannabis possession, the US basketball star has received a start date for her trial

www.theguardian.com

 

[Kurve]

Birttney got nine years.

Brittney Griner breaks down in court before Russian judge sentences her to nine years' prison

Russian state prosecutors had requested 9.5 years in prison for Ms Griner, who said in her closing remarks that bringing the vape cartridges into Russia had been "an honest mistake".

www.abc.net.au

 

[jason_recliner]

Birttney got nine years.

Brittney Griner breaks down in court before Russian judge sentences her to nine years' prison

Russian state prosecutors had requested 9.5 years in prison for Ms Griner, who said in her closing remarks that bringing the vape cartridges into Russia had been "an honest mistake".

www.abc.net.au

I'm staunchly anti-drugs but that seems a little over the top for a bit of marijuana.

 

[Sqotty from office works]

We all know if caught with a minuscule amount of drugs in Indonesia it's 25 years in goal


Well accident mistake or stupidity, this girl has to pay the penalty.

 

[utility]

The question to ask is if locals are sentenced for a similar period for a similar offence.

It does seem to be over the top for the substance and amount in question.

 

[checkraiseulite]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/09/12/patricia-spottedcrow-marijuana-year-sentence/

harsh and disproportionate sentences exist even in the us.

you’d be disappointed if they swap some genuine bad dudes for her - as unjust as her sentence may be.

 

[Kurve]

This from Daily Mail otherwise known as Daily Fail so this information might not be entirely accurate.

• Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison on Thursday
• Joe Biden immediately promised to free her and said he would do 'anything'
• The deal he has proposed is to swap her with Viktor Boult, a notorious arms dealer who was jailed in 2008
• Biden failed to secure a deal with the Russia to swap the pair before the sentence was handed down
• Now, amid a swell of public pressure, his 'position has weakened' in those negotiations, a source said
• The source - who is close to the negotiations - said it's likely a deal will be reached in under a month
• It's unclear if Paul Whelan is part of the deal - he has been jailed since 2018
• Griner pleaded guilty to bringing an illegal marijuana pen into Russia in February
• She claimed it was an accident and that they somehow got into her bag, despite the strict laws in Russia

Griner expected to be swapped with 'Merchant of Death 'within weeks'

A source close to the ongoing negotiations told DailyMail.com that a deal to swap Griner with the Merchant of Death is now more likely than ever, and could be completed within a month.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Kurve]

Via the ABC.

What's the offer to get her out?​

The US is pushing for Moscow to accept a deal that aims to secure the release of Ms Griner that would see her, alongside former US Marine Paul Whelan, exchanged with Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap.

"It's a serious proposal. We urge them to accept it. They should have accepted it weeks ago when we first made it," said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, without offering details.

What's the US offer to get Brittney Griner out of Russian prison?

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in Russian prison in a sentence that US President Joe Biden has deemed "unacceptable", but what did she do and what's the government's plan to get her out?

www.abc.net.au

 

[checkraiseulite]

you wonder whether this 61 year old American teacher also doing 14 years for cannabis possession in russia (who nobody has heard of or cares about given he doesn’t play basketball) will be included in any deal. or even get any publicity.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/07/28/marc-fogel-teacher-russia-prison/

 

[jason_recliner]

Via the ABC.

What's the offer to get her out?​

The US is pushing for Moscow to accept a deal that aims to secure the release of Ms Griner that would see her, alongside former US Marine Paul Whelan, exchanged with Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in a prisoner swap.

"It's a serious proposal. We urge them to accept it. They should have accepted it weeks ago when we first made it," said White House national security spokesperson John Kirby, without offering details.

What's the US offer to get Brittney Griner out of Russian prison?

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in Russian prison in a sentence that US President Joe Biden has deemed "unacceptable", but what did she do and what's the government's plan to get her out?

www.abc.net.au

Sleepy Joe is on the job! Griner can breathe a sigh of relief!

 

[Kurve]

I'm staunchly anti-drugs but that seems a little over the top for a bit of marijuana.

Agree, I think it's over the top but possibly to be expected if she's of value in a trade. It might be a bit naive to think otherwise and it should serve as a lesson for anybody thinking of travelling there while relations are so warry.

Good luck to her, I hope they can get her out fast. I'm sure she can take care of herself but what a wretched position to be in.

 

[Kurve]

Brittney Griner released from Russian prison in swap for convicted arms dealer

Brittney Griner, a WNBA and Olympic champion, will be returning to the U.S. in a prisoner swap for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, a U.S. official told Fox News on Thursday.

www.foxnews.com

 

[KAYNE]

While the sentence was ridiculous I can't believe the prisoner trade. The guy they let out is an absolute disgusting human being. They didn't even get the US Marine out! This is just so typical of the Biden administration and how poorly they are tracking.