Russia will not publicly discuss exchange of WNBA star Brittney Griner
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WNBA superstar Brittney Griner recently pleaded guilty to possession of illegal substances. She has been under the custody of the Russian Federal authorities for well over 100+ days and her case is currently under trial. The court ruled that she will face a 10 year sentence but the trial will further proceed to possibly reduce the severity of the punishment.
The Phoenix Mercury All-Star often travels to Russia as she also serves at UMMC Ekarterinburg Basketball Club. She was caught while going through customs of the Russian capital’s Sheremetyevo Airport. The authorities found canisters of hashish vape oil for which she was detained. According to her, she unintentionally carried it with her as it was a result of “hasty packing.”
Brittney Griner’s Russian Basketball associates speaks during her case trail
Brittney Griner’s trial resumed on Thursday after she pleaded guilty to the charges made against her. Her UMMC associates spoke during the court session. “Our task today was to tell the court about her characteristics as an athlete, as a person, ‘tell about how she played a big role in the success of the Ekaterinburg club and Russian women’s basketball as a whole,” said the Director of UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Griner’s Russian teammate, Evgenia Belyakova said, “We miss her very much, we miss her energy. I was very happy to see her and I hope this trial will be over soon and with a positive outcome.” Several personalities from all across the world have shown their support for the former Olympic medalist. Her trial will continue despite her pleading guilty.
Russia claims to put aside all discussions until the end of Brittney Griner’s trial
The WNBA player has been a very influential personality among women in sports. The United States is being put under tremendous pressure to initiate for her quick release but Joe Biden and his administration has been very careful where they tread. Many have also claimed that Brittney Griner is being held for a political exchange.
Viktor Bout who is nicknamed “the merchant of death,” has been rumored to be exchanged for Griner. Russia has been trying to push for Bout’s release for years as the illegal arms dealers was sentenced to 25-years in prison. However, Deputy Foreign Mister Sergei Ryabkov stated that, “there are no formal or procedural reasons to talk about” until the end of her trial period. The media presence was very limited during her recent session hence stopping the spread of any information.
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Rakibul John Rodgers
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