Brittney Griner faces 10 years in prison in Russia
She plays successfully in the US women’s basketball league WNBA and also from time to time in Russia: Brittney Griner. The American is now being charged with drug possession in Moscow, and Washington is demanding her release. Now, for the first time, Griner has commented on the allegations.
The chances of an acquittal for Brittney Griner are infinitesimal. The US basketball player faces a long prison sentence in Russia. A former US ambassador is now suggesting a prisoner swap.
IIn the case of Brittney Griner, the family of the imprisoned US basketball player leaves no stone unturned. According to ABC News, former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson will travel to Russia for talks to reach an agreement on the release of the imprisoned Olympic champion. Richardson is expected to travel to Moscow in the “next few weeks,” the report said.
As a former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Richardson has long campaigned for the release of Americans wrongfully imprisoned abroad. The 74-year-old politician is currently representing the Griner family as well as the family of Paul Whelan, a former Marine who has been held in Russia for three and a half years.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle, said she had asked the Richardson team for help and would support a trip. “We have reached out to the Richardson Center for help and I am encouraged that he may travel,” Cherelle Griner told ABC.
Griner (M.) must answer before a Moscow court. An acquittal seems impossible for the American
Source: dpa/Alexander Zemlianichenko
Basketball player Griner has been in Russian custody since mid-February after a bottle of hashish oil was found on her at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Griner pleaded guilty in court earlier this week. She stressed that she did so “accidentally” and asked the court for clemency.
Griner faces ten years in prison
According to sports broadcaster ESPN, the guilty plea is part of a strategy to facilitate a prisoner swap that could bring Griner home. In addition, Griner’s team estimates the chances of an acquittal to be extremely low. The 31-year-old athlete faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of transporting drugs.
The U.S. State Department recently issued a statement emphasizing it will continue to work for Griner’s release. When asked about Richardson’s efforts, the White House National Security Council confirmed it was in contact with the ex-governor. However, Richardson is not acting on behalf of the US government.
According to Michael McFaul, an exchange with the Russian arms dealer Viktor But, who is in a US prison, is now the only chance of Griner’s release. “Unfortunately, a criminal that Russia desperately wants is our only leverage,” the former US ambassador to Moscow said in a video interview with MSNBC. Media loyal to the Kremlin had previously brought this option into play.
