Brittney Griner

Griner, 31, was arrested on Feb. 17, after authorities at a Moscow area airport allegedly found cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.

He added, "Only the court can do something in terms of handing down any verdicts." The Kremlin insists the case isn't politically motivated. Like many WNBA players, Griner earns far more than her WNBA salary by playing overseas during the U.S. offseason. "She's a hero in their country. In early May, the Biden administration declared Griner to be wrongfully detained by Russia's government. "We want President Biden, our elected official, to have a meeting, a sit-down, a face-to-face with Cherelle Griner, BG's wife. A request for home detention was also denied. U.S. Embassy officials are on hand for the trial. And let's be clear: she's given them more than a few." She deserves that." "Wrongful detention as a bargaining chip is a threat to the safety of everyone traveling and living abroad," U.S. Ambassador to Russia John J. Sullivan said in May. He and other U.S. officials have said their top priority is to help Griner and other citizens detained in Russia. As for Griner's mindset right now, Boikov said that she is "a bit worried" because of the trial and the potential of a prison sentence — "but she's a tough lady and I think she will manage."

KHIMKI, RUSSIA — The trial for Brittney Griner, a WNBA star who has been detained in Russia for more than four months on drug charges, began Friday with ...

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American basketball star Brittney Griner appeared in a Moscow-area court for trial Friday, about 4 1/2 months after she was arrested on cannabis possession ...

"As a general proposition ... I have got no higher priority than making sure that Americans who are being illegally detained in one way or another around the world come home," he said. But the wide discrepancy between Griner's case -- which involves alleged possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil -- and Bout's global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S. "It was good to see her in some of those images, but it's tough. The U.S. then imposed sweeping sanctions on Moscow, and Russia denounced the U.S. for sending weapons to Ukraine. "In view of what I've said, it can't be politically motivated," he added. "The Russian Federation has wrongfully detained Brittney Griner," Rood said. according to the state news agency RIA-Novosti. The trial was then adjourned for a week, it said, when two other witnesses did not show up. Police have said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil when detained at the airport. Russian news media have repeatedly raised speculation that she could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed "the Merchant of Death," who is serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization. Boykov also told RIA-Novosti that she has been exercising in the detention area. Griner was arrested less than a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already high tensions between the two countries. "The practice of wrongful detention is unacceptable wherever it occurs and is a threat to the safety of everyone traveling, working, and living abroad."

The two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist Brittney Griner went on trial at a court near Moscow on Friday, on drug smuggling charges which can be ...

He was interrogated on the circumstances of Griner's detention and personal search, the lawyers said, adding that they could not disclose any of the information that he revealed during the testimony. She spoke to Griner in the courtroom. "Being sufficiently aware that the movement of narcotic drugs is not allowed... "It's really, really difficult. It's over 130 days and BG's still not back." "She is doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances and she asked me to convey that she is in good spirits and is keeping up the faith," Rood said.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for having cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage.

Here & Now‘s Scott Tong speaks with NPR’s Charles Maynes about the start of the trial for WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for more than four months on drug charges. Trial on drug charges begins for detained WNBA star Brittney Griner in Russia

Brittney Griner, the WNBA superstar, has been detained by the Russian government since Feb. 17. On Friday, a trial began in a Moscow suburb on the ...

Witness the unjust prosecution and jailing of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, or political activist and Post opinion contributor Vladimir Kara-Murza, or Paul Whelan, a U.S. citizen held in prison for what he says is a fictitious charge of espionage. He was accused of being involved in a fraud. He will undoubtedly want to trade her for a Russian incarcerated in the United States, such as convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout. This puts the United States in an extremely difficult position. The State Department has already determined that Ms. Griner, twice an Olympic gold medalist, has been “wrongfully detained.” Put simply, Ms. Griner is a hostage, taken by President Vladimir Putin and his sprawling police state. A trade could win freedom for Ms. Griner but would encourage more hostage-taking; a refusal to trade would consign her to more agony in a Russian prison. Russia is not a state governed by rule of law; it is run by a strongman and his clans, including a powerful security service.

The criminal trial of 31-year-old WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, who has been detained for more than four months, began in Russia ...

Bradley also told TIME that Griner’s arrest was “right out of the Russian playbook.” “I have to believe that she was targeted, based on the pending invasion of Ukraine. The Russian government has a long history of wrongfully detaining U.S. citizens,” he said. Kimberly St. Julian-Varnon, a Ph.D. student in the history department at the University of Pennsylvania, told The Times that there is a chance that Griner might win her freedom, after all, perhaps through a prisoner exchange, a lesser conviction, a fine or some other twist in her lengthy pursuit of justice. As of Friday, a petition to free Griner on change.org had nearly 290,000 signatures. That could have made her a more obvious target for them,” Bradley said. On May 13, Griner was denied a request for house arrest and her detention was extended by another 30 days. On March 17, TASS reported that Griner’s detainment would be extended for more than two months, until May 19, after a court petition to investigate the charges had been approved. Experts say that she is unlikely to receive a fair trial, and that Russian authorities are using her as a diplomatic bargaining chip amid the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The U.S. Embassy said that throughout the month, their requests to see Griner were repeatedly denied. We want BG to come home as soon as possible, it’s number one on our list.” Griner was charged with violating Article 229.1 of the Criminal Code of Russia, a law criminalizing illegal drug trafficking and smuggling. The criminal trial of 31-year-old WNBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner, who has been detained for more than four months, began in Russia on July 1. She continues to have our full support,” Englebert said, referencing Griner by her initials.

Griner is facing up to 10 years in prison. U.S. officials say she has been "wrongfully detained."

- "There are articles in Russian legislation that provide for punishment for such crimes," he told reporters. - "You have a situation where BG can call our government, the embassy, 11 times and that phone call don't get answered," she said. - Russian forces withdraw from strategic Snake Island in the Black Sea But she is a tough lady. Later," TASS cited Griner as saying. - "She asked me to convey that she is in good spirits and is keeping up the faith," said Elizabeth Rood, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Russia.

The Supreme Court's ruling on the EPA alters the Biden Administration's climate strategy. Health insurers must now publicize the prices they pay hospitals ...

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Griner and other WNBA players are compelled to play in foreign countries to maximize their worth.

In 2024, players can be suspended for the season. The WNBA doesn’t turn a profit. The NBA is a nearly $9 billion business. You can’t put a price on the dreams of millions of girls or a woman’s freedom. The value of the WNBA goes beyond crunching numbers, and so should the NBA’s investment in it. Some WNBA owners are willing to raise the bar when it comes to amenities such as charter flights, but others have resisted any increased spending. The league minimum is around $60,000, or what an NBA player would leave in the glove box of his Bentley. Next year, the WNBA will fine players if they miss the start of training camp or show up after May 1, whichever is later. (Boston Globe Media CEO Linda Henry was listed among the investors.) They can’t bank on money from the league. The revenue disparity would never support that. The WNBA’s paltry pay pushed Griner into Russian crosshairs.

Russian prosecutors outlined drug charges against WNBA star Brittney Griner when her trial started in Moscow on Friday. The Biden administration says she's ...

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WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, as her trial begins on ...

He added, "Only the court can do something in terms of handing down any verdicts." The Kremlin insists the case isn't politically motivated. Like many WNBA players, Griner earns far more than her WNBA salary by playing overseas during the U.S. offseason. "She's a hero in their country. In early May, the Biden administration declared Griner to be wrongfully detained by Russia's government. "We want President Biden, our elected official, to have a meeting, a sit-down, a face-to-face with Cherelle Griner, BG's wife. A request for home detention was also denied. U.S. Embassy officials are on hand for the trial. And let's be clear: she's given them more than a few." She deserves that." "Wrongful detention as a bargaining chip is a threat to the safety of everyone traveling and living abroad," U.S. Ambassador to Russia John J. Sullivan said in May. He and other U.S. officials have said their top priority is to help Griner and other citizens detained in Russia. As for Griner's mindset right now, Boikov said that she is "a bit worried" because of the trial and the potential of a prison sentence — "but she's a tough lady and I think she will manage."

Griner is 135 days into her detainment in Russia and one day into her trial on drug charges, which are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

Wilson selected Parker with the first overall pick and Courtney Vandersloot with the 12th pick. Griner is an honorary starter in the WNBA All-Star Game next Sunday at Wintrust Arena, but that gives her supporters no comfort. Griner reportedly made 11 attempts in several hours to connect using the number provided by the embassy. Why do we have to sign a petition? She’s played for our country and brought our country glory, and this is how we’re treating her. U.S. officials determined in May that Griner is being wrongfully detained.