Brittney Griner is a former WNBA superstar who pleaded guilty drug smuggling. In 2016, Griner was arrested in Russia. She was sentenced to nine year imprisonment. 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 at drug smuggling
The WNBA superstar was arrested in February. She pleaded guilty at the time to drug smuggling. She was sentenced to three years in prison and will have to serve the rest of her sentence in a Russian prison. Griner admitted that she was involved with smuggling drugs but said she didn't intend to break the law.
She was detained in Russia in 2016
Griner, despite her international fame and notoriety, has not been silenced. Griner's supporters called for her release but her husband and her team remained silent. They said that they had no "political understanding" of Griner’s detention. Russian officials have a very strict anti-drug culture. Griner was arrested, which has made her very embarrassed, and the WNBA didn't do anything to support her.
She was instrumental in leading the United States women’s hockey team to victory in 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 received numerous international and national honors since, including the All-Tournament Team award and the Most Valuable Player award in the Gold Medal Game.
She was sentenced to nine year imprisonment
The U.S. government has declared Griner a "wrongful detainee" and is working to get her back. Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador at the United Nations, has been designated to assist. Richardson is an experienced hostage negotiator and will immediately start working to bring Griner home. 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 depends on the outcome of diplomatic negotiations between Russia and the U.S.
As of Thursday, Griner remains in detention while her family seeks an exchange. Diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Russia have been ongoing since June. Although the Russian legal action against Griner has been deemed insignificant domestically, it is unlikely to prevent her from applying for a presidential pardon. Griner's fate lies in the hands largely of the Russian government.