According to her lawyer, WNBA star Brittney Griner is concerned that she may have to serve her whole nine-year jail term for drug possession in Russia, as told by Newsmax.
Alexandr D. Boykov, her Russian attorney, told the Times on Wednesday, “She has not been in as good condition as I could sometimes find her in. She is not yet absolutely convinced that America will be able to take her home. She is very worried about what the price of that will be, and she is afraid that she will have to serve the whole sentence here in Russia.”
After airport security discovered vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in Griner’s luggage, she was detained on February 17. She was accused of importing drugs, according to People. According to the newspaper, she admitted admission to the allegations in July and was given a nine-year jail term in Russia on August 4.
Although he won’t speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the conflict in Eastern Europe at the G20 conference slated for next month in Bali, Indonesia, President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that he is open to having a discussion about Griner and bringing the basketball star home. During their Tuesday conversation with Jake Tapper, Biden remarked, “I have no intention of meeting with him, but if he came to me at the G20 and said, ‘I want to talk about the release of Griner,’ I would meet with him, but that would depend. He’s acted brutally, I think he’s committed war crimes, and so I don’t see any rationale to meet with him [regarding the war in Eastern Europe] now.”
At a prison in the Moscow region, Griner is given permission to go outdoors once a day, where she spends an hour walking in a small courtyard Boykov told the Times. He stated that Griner is scheduled to appear in court on October 25 to have her conviction appeal considered and believes her sentence will be lightened. “Perhaps the verdict will somehow be changed and, perhaps, the sentence will be reduced, because the decision taken by the first court is very different from judicial practice. Considering all the circumstances, taking into account my client’s personality traits and her admission of guilt, such a verdict should be absolutely impossible.”
In a tweet on Tuesday, FWNBA star Breanna Stewart pleaded with the White House to take action to bring Griner home.
“It has been 237 days since our friend, Brittney Griner, has been wrongfully detained in Russia. It is time for her to come home,” Stewart tweeted. “[The White House, President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris], we are paying attention and we are counting on you.”
It has been 238 days since our friend, Brittney Griner, has been wrongfully detained in Russia. It is time for her to come home. @WhiteHouse @potus @vp , we are paying attention and we are counting on you. #WeAreBG
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) October 13, 2022
"*" indicates required fields
