Brittney Griner is a former WNBA superstar who pleaded guilty drug smuggling. She was arrested in Russia in 2016 and later sentenced to nine years in prison. Griner, who was a high school athlete and led the United States women's team to Rio Olympics 2016, was before she became famous. Griner's recent conviction is a sad twist in her story. However, Griner has made a good decision to begin her prison sentence.
WNBA star brittney griner pleaded guilty to drug smuggling
The WNBA star, who was arrested in February, pleaded guilty to drug smuggling. She was sentenced three years in prison. The remainder of her sentence will be served in a Russian prison. Griner admitted in her guilty plea that she was involved smuggling drugs. However, she insisted that she did not intend on breaking the law.
She was arrested in Russia in 2016.
Griner was not silenced by her arrest despite her international celebrity. Her supporters have called for her release, but her husband and team have stayed quiet. They stated that they did not have any "political knowledge" about Griner's arrest. Russian government is known for its harsh anti-drug culture. Griner's arrest, however, has been a source of great embarrassment for her, and the WNBA has done little to help.
She led the United States women's basketball team to victory in the Rio Olympics
Despite her young age, Griner has already won several gold medals. She was part of the USA women’s team basketball in Rio de Janeiro where they defeated Spain 101-72 for the gold medal. In 2011, she also won a gold medal in the FIBA World Cup. She has been honored with numerous national and international honors since then.
She was sentenced with nine years imprisonment
Griner was declared a "wrongful prisoner" by the U.S. government. They are now trying to get her out. Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador for the United Nations has been given this task. Richardson has extensive hostage negotiation experience, and will immediately get Griner's return. Griner is currently under the care of a consular officers. The consular officer visited Griner on May 19, and said that Griner was doing well despite the difficult circumstances. The State Department is now seeking more access to Griner to ensure that she is treated with the respect she deserves and that her rights are respected.
Now her fate is dependent on diplomatic negotiations between Russia & the U.S.
Griner was still in detention on Thursday as her family searches for an exchange. Diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Russia have been ongoing since June. Griner's Russian legal actions against her are not relevant domestically. However, they will not prevent her from seeking a presidential Pardon. Griner's fate will remain in the hands the Russian government for the time being.