WNBA star Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia after pleading guilty to drug charges last week. Griner, a Phoenix Mercury center, has been held in Russia since February on accusations of bringing vape cartridges containing hashish oil into an airport outside of Moscow. Â
The 31-year-old basketball star pleaded guilty Thursday to drug charges, a shift in strategy that her lawyers hope will factor into a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington. Griner told a Russian court that she did not mean to break the law by bringing the cartridges into Russia. Speaking through an interpreter, she said she still wishes to plead guilty "but I had no intention of breaking Russian law." Legal experts say Griner's guilty plea could be an effort to expedite the court proceedings and return to the U.S. as soon as possible.
The U.S. State Department has classified Griner as "wrongfully detained" and has been working to negotiate her release through a prisoner swap. Russia has sought to secure the release of Viktor Bout, a Russian arms trafficker serving a 25 year sentence in the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week the U.S. made a substantial offer to Russia to resolve the cases of Griner and Paul Whelan, another American imprisoned in Russia, but has yet to receive a productive response.Â
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, is considered by many to be one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time. However, she has now spent over four months in pre-trial Russian detention and faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison if convicted. Her WNBA team, friends, and family have advocated vocally for her freedom and safe return to the United States.
Here are some additional details regarding Brittney Griner's situation:
• Griner was arrested in Moscow in February after Russian officials claimed she had cannabis oil vape cartridges in her luggage at an airport near the capital. She has been held in pre-trial detention ever since.
• Despite pleading guilty last week, Griner testified in court that she had no intention of breaking Russian law and that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil ended up in her luggage unintentionally because she had packed in haste. However, her guilty plea may help expedite her trial and potential release.Â
• The U.S. State Department has classified Griner's detention as "wrongful" and U.S. officials have tried unsuccessfully so far to negotiate her release through a proposed prisoner swap with Russia that would involve the release of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. However, Russia has not yet accepted the U.S. proposal.
• Griner faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison if convicted of the drug charges. Her trial is still ongoing and a verdict has not yet been reached. She has been held in pre-trial detention for 4 months already, which some legal experts say is unjustified.
• Griner's detention comes at a time of high geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Russia due to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. This complicates negotiations for her release.
• The WNBA, women's basketball fans, and U.S. officials have increasingly called for Griner's release and return home, with many arguing she is being unjustly detained for political purposes. A "Bring BG Home" campaign has urged the Biden administration to prioritize her freedom.
Hope this additional context and summary helps provide a more complete picture of Brittney Griner's ongoing situation in Russia. Let me know if you have any other questions.
