Griner sent to Russian penal colony to serve sentence

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

2 hours ago

MOSCOW (AP) — American basketball star Brittney Griner has been sent to a penal colony in Russia to serve her sentence for drug possession, her legal team said Wednesday.

A Russian court rejected an appeal of her nine-year sentence last month. The eight-time all-star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist was convicted Aug. 4 after police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

Her arrest came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, and the politically charged case could lead to a high-stakes prisoner exchange between Washington and Moscow.

Griner’s legal team said she left a detention center on Nov. 4 for a penal colony — a common type of Russian prison where detainees work for minimal pay. Her lawyers said Wednesday that they did not know exactly where she was or where she would end up — but that they expected to be notified when she reached her final destination. Such transfers can take days.

-snip-


Read more: https://apnews.com/article/brittney-griner-entertainment-sports-karine-jean-pierre-basketball-960c931def8f2db0e9c9fefcf20796a1

[orangecrush]

1. Bastards

[Irish_Dem]

2. Putin is using her as a pawn to get some sort of concession from Biden.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. He has nothing left

His allies in the GOP didn't do so well last night.

[SouthernDem4ever]

3. I recomment everyone cancel their vacations to Russia

forever.

[Lonestarblue]

5. I have long wanted to visit St. Petersburg, but that will not hapoen now.

I will not do anything to support Russia or Putin, and I suspect it could be dangerous even for average Americans to travel there now. Putin would love to have a few more American hostages.

[mahina]

11. My Mom always wanted to see the Hermitage.

I never wanted to go there for anything in the world. So many people barely escaped with their lives, why would I ever want to go there?

[Marthe48]

4. I hate hearing this news

I hope she has the fortitude to prevail. Wish a Mission Impossible team could spring her.

[hamsterjill]

6. I still hope they are working behind the scenes.

For her release - and all of the other Americans.

[secondwind]

7. Yes, they continue to talk............

[LudwigPastorius]

8. Nine years in a penal colony for 0.7 grams of cannabis oil...

Meanwhile, Russians caught with up to 6 grams of pot get a fine and 15 day detention.

Fuck you, Putin, and all the borscht-eating socksuckers who prop up your barbaric dictatorship.

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. Russia has a terrible drug and alcohol abuse problem.

They always have had. This was so unfair. But I still don't understand why she was there. Was she playing on a team?

[LudwigPastorius]

20. Yes.

She was playing for a Russian team during the WNBA off season and was detained the week before Ukraine was invaded.

[Sucha NastyWoman]

9. So heartbreaking

Hope she can find a way to deal with it and that a prisoner swap can be arranged soon.

[mahina]

10. Ruining her life.

Poor soul. That bastard.

[Samrob]

12. Angry there wasn't the "red wave" they supported. There main man, Trump is a loser ... vendetta. n

[LiberalLovinLug]

13. Horrible timing, to make a silly mistake

She's basically a casualty of war now.

But maybe Russia will accept some nefarious violent Russian criminal/spy who they seem value more than anything else in that administration, as an exchange.

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

15. Where in Russia? What camp?

[Evolve Dammit]

16. This just sucks. Over a couple grams of CBD... What BS. Fuck Putin.

[XorXor]

17. I find it shocking whenever I see people defend Russia on this

I mean, I expect it from the pro-Russian conservative crowd. They are just backward assholes who would defend it even if there wasn't some weird Russian fetish being pushed by certain segments of the right. However, I find it even more frustrating to see people who claim to be on the left who defend Russia on this. Mostly because we all know they know it's wrong and they would be the right side of this issue if it was a liberal democratic country doing this. If anyone doubts there are people like that, then I highly recommend checking out the recently reactivated JPR forums.

[Bayard]

18. She doesn't deserve this

If not this, they would have grabbed her up for some other perceived crime. She came into the country with a target on her back.

I hope she can stay strong.