Brittney griner, a former WNBA champion who pleaded guilty for drug smuggling offenses, is now the topic. 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 player, who was detained in February, pleaded guilty. 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 held in Russia in 2016
Griner was not silenced by her arrest despite her international celebrity. While her supporters have called to her release, her husband as well as her team have remained silent. In a statement, they said they do not have "political knowledge" of Griner's arrest. Russian government is known for its harsh anti-drug culture. Griner was arrested, which has made her very embarrassed, and the WNBA didn't do anything to support her.
She led the United States women’s basketball team to victory at Rio Olympics.
Griner, who is just 19 years old, has won several gold medals. She was a part of the USA women's basketball team in Rio de Janeiro, where they beat Spain 101-72 in the gold medal game. In 2011, she won a FIBA World Cup gold medal. Since then, she has won multiple national and international honors, including being named All-Tournament Team and the Most Valuable Player 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 (former U.S. ambassador) has been appointed to help. Richardson is a skilled hostage negotiator with extensive experience and will immediately work to get Griner back. Griner has been under the care and supervision of a consular Officer. On May 19, the consular Officer visited Griner and stated that Griner was doing well, despite being in very difficult circumstances. Griner is currently under the care of the State Department. The consular officer visited her on May 19 and reported that Griner is doing well in difficult circumstances.
Now her fate rests on diplomatic negotiations between Russia, the U.S., and China
Griner was detained on Thursday while her family seeks an exchanging. Diplomatic negotiations between the U.S. and Russia have been ongoing since June. The Russian legal action against Griner is considered irrelevant domestically, but is not likely to stop her from seeking a presidential pardon. Griner's fate will remain in the hands the Russian government for the time being.