Brittney Griner being moved to Russian penal colony, her legal professionals say

Russia is shifting detained U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to a penal colony, her legal professionals stated Wednesday, drawing a pointy rebuke from the White House.

Griner, convicted for possession of a small amount of hashish oil and given a 9 yr jail sentence, was transferred out of a detention middle on November 4, her authorized workforce stated.

She “is now on her way to a penal colony,” legal professionals Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov stated in an announcement.

They stated Russia usually sends notifications of reworking prisoners by mail, taking as much as two weeks.

“We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” they stated.

Griner’s case has drawn outrage within the United States, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaching out to Russia to suggest a deal to free her regardless of hovering tensions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reiterated that the United States had put ahead a “substantial offer” to Russia to resolve her case.

“Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” Jean-Pierre stated in an announcement.

“As the administration continues to work tirelessly to secure her release, the president has directed the administration to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony.”

Griner, a two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist and WNBA champion, had been in Russia to play for the skilled Yekaterinburg workforce throughout her low season from the Phoenix Mercury WNBA aspect.

She stated the hashish in vape cartridges was to deal with ache from her sports activities accidents, however Russia would not enable medical marijuana use.

Reports have prompt that Griner and one other American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan — a retired US Marine arrested in December 2018 and accused of spying — may very well be traded for Viktor Bout, a famed Russian arms trafficker serving 25 years in jail on a 2012 conviction.