After being detained overseas for over a month now, U.S. officials were finally granted access to WNBA star BrittneyGriner. Find out everything they said inside…
WNBA star Brittney Griner finally got a chance to make contact with U.S. officials after her recent drug arrest in Moscow. And thankfully, she’s OK.
An official at the U.S. embassy in Moscow was granted consular access to WNBA All-Star on Tuesday (March 22nd) after she had been detained at a Russian airport mid-February. She had traveled to Russia to play basketball during the WNBA’s off-season.
Russian State TV releases #BrittneyGriner’s booking photo inside the police station. It’s the first photo of the #WNBA star since she was arrested for having vape cartridges in her luggage last month. https://t.co/G8e5hIu7lQpic.twitter.com/r8hNgTteef
— YBF CHIC (@TheYBF) March 8, 2022
U.S. State Department spokesman NedPrice told CNN that an embassy official checked in on her condition and she is said to be doing okay.
"There's only so much I can say," Ned said,"but what I can say is that 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."
Peep the clip below:
State Department spokesperson Ned Price provides an update on US basketball star Brittney Griner who remains detained in Russia on allegations of drug smuggling. pic.twitter.com/PquLiJKqWr
— CNN (@CNN) March 23, 2022
According to CNN, Brittney’s legal team HAS had access to her and has been able to see her several times a week throughout her detention in Russia. So, that’s good.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist and seven-time Women’s National Basketball Association All-Star with the Phoenix Mercury basketball team was arrested in Russia after customs officials detected cannabis oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow. A report from Russian news agency TASS identified the American woman who was arrested on drug charges as 31-year-old Brittney Griner, upon arriving from New York in February. News about her arrest didn’t come out until three weeks later.
A criminal case has been opened and filed under “large-scale transportation of drugs.” Such charges carry a sentence of 5-10 years in a Russian prison.
There was fear that Russia & Putin may want Griner as a “high-profile hostage” who could serve as a valuable bargaining chip.
Last week, a Moscow court extended Griner’s arrest until May 19th after her request to be released on house arrest was denied. Currently, the investigation is still ongoing and a trial date has not been set, sources told CNN.
Brittney isn’t out of the woods just yet, but it’s good to know that’s she okay for now. We hope it stays that way and that she’s brought home safely to be with her wife, CherelleGriner, and family.
Photo: Keeton Gale/Shutterstock
