Posted on 11/09/2022 7:06:25 AM PST by Red Badger
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been transferred to a Russian penal colony after being sentenced to nine years in prison for allegedly possessing cannabis oil, according to the Associated Press.
Griner was moved from a detention center on November 4, according to her legal team, but they do not know where the penal colony she will be transferred to is located.
The White House released a statement on Monday morning condemning the latest development involving the professional basketball player.
“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long. As the Administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the President has directed the Administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in the statement.
The press secretary also noted that the Biden administration has previously made offers to negotiate Griner’s release.
“As we have said before, the U.S. Government made a significant offer to the Russians to resolve the current unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens,” Jean-Pierre said. “In the subsequent weeks, despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. Government has continued to follow up on that offer and propose alternative potential ways forward with the Russians through all available channels.”
The statement also argued that the nation is committed to the release of Griner as well as American citizen Paul Whelan, who is also still held in Russia.
“The U.S. Government is unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia – including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan,” Jean-Pierre concluded.
The latest update follows Griner’s failed appeal hearing in a Moscow regional court last month that upheld her lengthy sentence.
The Daily Wire previously reported that the Phoenix Mercury center and her legal team had hoped for an acquittal or reduction in the sentence that they believed was too severe and politically motivated.
“No judge, hand on heart, will honestly say that Griner’s nine-year sentence is in line with Russian criminal law,” Alexander Boykov, one of Griner’s lawyers, said according to Reuters.
He added, “if the court wants to punish her, [it should] give her a new, ‘fair’ verdict and mitigate the punishment. The severity and cruelty of the sentence applied to Griner shocks people around the world.”
Griner’s arrest occurred four days before Russia invaded Ukraine. The 6-foot, 9-inch center was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment in August, just shy of the 10-year maximum sentence.
“I never meant to hurt anybody, I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never meant to break any laws here,” Griner said ahead of her verdict. “I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn’t end my life here. I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom.”
I think she’ll make an awesome professional rock buster
Needed some heartwarming news this morning. Thank you.
The good news of the day...
whatever
Good.
The good news... Maybe they have a basketball team.
I bet she’d love to hear the Star Spangled Banner once more...............
Strange how Trump could get people of of North Korea and ole Biden can only get us in wars and lose hashish addicted WNBA stars.
I bet the dems claim to have received her mail-in ballot though, and counted it multiple times!
“I never meant to break any laws”.... Said every criminal ever convicted... But you did and now you are serving your time... The good news... Only 8+ more years to go and you’ll be free.
Gonna be hard breaking rocks on one knee. No sympathy for this freak.
She is going to have some really intense rehab. At least she will learn a new language in the meantime.
I hear Yakutsk is nice this time of year. -25F yesterday.
I think LeBron and a bunch of his pals should form a delegation, fly to Copenhagen for break and then on to Moscow where they can start raising hell.
More BS from the BS administration.
Some good news this morning..........🤔
They’ll be a “Black Russian”..
(A ha ha....Black Russian, You hear what he said? Black Russian, that’s a funny joke)
“She” must be glad to be out of horrible old America. I’m happy for her.
A very stark reminder that the freedoms we enjoy here in the US don’t extend past our sovereign borders which is a fact many Americans are frankly ignorant of.
Anybody that’s ever spent time in a foreign country or even been on a cruise ship probably realized that in a short period of time.
Most foreign countries couldn’t give two shits about an American rights in their country......I’ve experienced that one 1st hand in many occasions.
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