Brittney Griner’s Detention in Russia Extended 1 Month
Authorities in Russia extended the pretrial detention of Brittney Griner by one month, according to a lawyer representing the seven-time All-Star.
Griner, 31, was arrested in February at an airport near Moscow and is accused of illegally transporting cartridges of hashish oil, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Griner was on her way back to the United States for the start of training camp with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. She plays for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the offseason.
She has played for the team for six seasons and many other WNBA players participate in the league for financial reasons.
It has been 84 days since our friend, Brittney Griner, has been wrongfully detained in Russia. It is time for her to come home. @WhiteHouse, we are paying attention and we are counting on you. #WeAreBG
— Breanna Stewart (@breannastewart) May 13, 2022
A trial is now expected for Griner, her attorneys said, but U.S. officials have classified her arrest as “wrongful detainment.”
The label from President Joe Biden implies the government considers the detention to be based solely on being a United States national.
Seeing this photo of Brittney Griner breaks my heart. It’s so infuriating and frustrating💔
We want Brittney Griner home. 🙏 #WeAreBG pic.twitter.com/6h0DUEYnOh— Aya Abdeen (she/her) (@ayaabdeen__) May 13, 2022
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)