How long Griner will stay in a Russian prison is now solely dependent on diplomatic relations between America and Russia
After more than six months in detention since she was arrested in February for having less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage at a Russian airport, eight times WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday for drug possession and trafficking. That harsh but expected final decision on Griner’s case was her last scheduled court appearance.
How long Griner will stay in a Russian prison depends entirely on diplomatic relations between the US and Russia. As noted by the Associated Press, Sentencing is often a prerequisite for arranging a prisoner exchange and also allows the WNBA star to apply for a presidential pardon.. An interstate swap frees Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan, detained on espionage charges, in exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. Bloomberg reported that Russian officials are inclined to reject that proposal in the hope of getting two Russians in any Griner deal.
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence, another reminder of what the world already knows: Russia is wrongly holding Brittney,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. declare. “That is unacceptable, and I urge Russia to release her immediately so that she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every avenue possible to get Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”
According to Bloomberg, discussions about a prisoner swap between the United States and Russia have been going on since June. Of course, the job of the Federal government is mostly confidential information, and her day-to-day status will largely remain unchanged until a deal is reached. Griner’s detention was particularly difficult because of the ongoing Russian brutal war against Ukraine. The State Department also considers any Russian legal action against Griner or Whelan to be domestically unrelated.
Griner can be seen as a powerful asset to Russian President Vladimir Putin and she can be held hostage in response to US sanctions against the country for the needless invasion. The longtime Phoenix Mercury star flew to Moscow to join her Euro team, UMMC Ekaterinburg, in February when she was remanded in custody. Griner has spent her international career in Russia since 2014, earning over $1 million per season, more than four times her annual WNBA salary.
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While a Russian judge said Griner’s time already spent in prison would count toward a 9-year sentence, America’s endgame is now clear with foreign negotiations the only way to free the Phoenix Mercury star.
Despite her incarceration, Griner was the focal point of the WNBA’s All-Star game last month, being named an honor selected for the showcase. The players all wore her number 42 jerseys to start the second half, every player’s warrior had her name and number on the back and Griner’s wife, Cherelle, sat flirting.
I think my Deadspin colleague Carron Phillips summed up Griner’s dire plight perfectly as tragically as I saw it: “Black people have a hard time. Black women have a harder time. Black gay women have the hardest time. It’s hard is a minority trio in America, but especially in Russia. “