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Brittney Griner found guilty in Russian drug trial, sentenced to 9 years in prison

According to the Levinson Act, an American citizen can be deemed "detained unlawfully or wrongfully" for several reasons. One is if the "individual is being detained solely or substantially to influence United States Government policy or to secure economic or political concessions from the United States."


Griner, who is now the subject of discussions on a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia, may fall into that category in part, Costa said, because of the notoriety she has as a famous basketball player with countless supporters — including President Biden — speaking out on her behalf.


White House Is 'Still Waiting on' Russia to Respond to Proposed Brittney Griner Exchange

"People came out to speak about it right away to show their solidarity for her," Costa said of Griner. "So, that in itself raises the stakes for Russia. Okay, there's interest, a lot of interest in Brittney Griner, therefore they want to exact some kind of political advantage."


Krivanek, on the other hand, hasn't had that support and could be considered less valuable to the Russians, which might be why her detention isn't considered wrongful based on the Levinson Act.


"Perhaps the United States government will look very, very hard at this particular case and ultimately declare her wrongfully detained," Costa said. "But that is a call that the U.S. government, the State Department, would have to make."


In the meantime, Costa added, "Just because Sarah [Krivanek] is not declared wrongfully detained, meeting the criteria of the Levinson Act, that does not mean that day in and day out, that the Consular Affairs in Russia are not working on her case."
 

U.S. may do '2-for-2' prisoner swap to get Griner, Whelan out of Russia: Ex-ambassador​

 

Russia confirms big Brittney Griner update​

While WNBA star Brittney Griner was found guilty in a Russian court for smuggling illegal drugs into the country and sentenced to nine years in prison, it has been thought for some time that she could return to the United States as part of a prisoner swap. It now appears that Russia has confirmed those discussions are underway.

According to the Washington Post, Russia confirmed for the first time on Thursday that negotiations between Washington and Moscow are underway. United States officials proposed a deal to swap Griner and another American prisoner, Paul Whelan, for Russian prisoners currently held in American prisons.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivan Nechayev said Thursday that negotiations about an exchange began after Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed last week that Russia was willing to talk.

“Instructions were given to authorized structures to carry out negotiations,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ivan Nechayev said Thursday. “They are being conducted by competent authorities,” he told journalists, per state media.

The entire affair has long been considered a sham by experts and a prisoner swap was always the eventual destination, with Viktor Bout, an arms dealer who killed Americans, the most likely person that Russia wanted in return.
 
Griner, the WNBA star, has been sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison for drug smuggling. The basketball star was reportedly caught with hash oil in a vape pen at the airport earlier this year.

According to reports out of the United States, the government is working on a prisoner exchange with Russia for Griner.

Russia has since confirmed the news - a big step.

“The discussions on the very sensitive topic of an exchange are proceeding via the channels chosen by our presidents,” Alexander Datchiev, the head of the North America department at the Russian Foreign Ministry, was quoted as saying by state news agency TASS. “Silent diplomacy continues and should bear fruit if Washington, of course, is careful not to fall into propaganda.”

Griner has been in Russian custody since early 2022.

She could be sent back to the United States in exchange for a Russian arms dealer.

​

 

Brittney Griner appeals guilty verdict in Russia​

At the same time as U.S. and Russian diplomats are discussing a potential prisoner exchange involving Brittney Griner, the American basketball star’s attorneys are exhausting all available options to try to reduce her nine-year prison sentence. Griner’s defense team on Monday filed an appeal against the verdict handed down earlier this month by a Russian court, attorney Maria Blagovolina told Russian news agencies. Blagovolina did not immediately return an email from Yahoo Sports seeking confirmation and an explanation of the grounds of the appeal.
 

Brittney Griner still seen as 'wrongfully detained' despite Russia trial, State Department spokesman says​


Brittney Griner’s verdict and sentence did not change anything regarding the WNBA superstar's status as being "wrongfully detained," U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said Monday. Price was asked about Griner and the potential of a prisoner swap with Russia, which may involve Viktor Bout and another American held in Russia, Paul Whelan. "No element of this trial changes our judgment that Brittney Griner is being wrongfully detained and should be released immediately," Price said. "That is why we've put forward a number of weeks ago what we consider to be a serious, substantial proposal and an effort to seek her release, to seek the release of Paul Whelan as well.
 

Brittney Griner is set to serve time in one of Russia's penal colonies, where abuse is common, disease is rampant, and labor is forced​




  • WNBA superstar Brittney Griner was convicted of drug smuggling and sentenced to nine years in Russian prison after customs agents found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage in February.
  • Griner's legal team has appealed the decision, but if her conviction is not overturned and she's not included in a prisoner swap between the US and Russia, the eight-time WNBA All-Star will serve her sentence at a penal colony.
  • Direct descendants of the Soviet Union's infamous Gulag system, Russian penal colonies are prison labor camps known as disease incubators where human rights abuses run rampant.
 

U.S. may do '2-for-2' prisoner swap to get Griner, Whelan out of Russia: Ex-ambassador​

 

Brittney Griner: Inside the logistical chess match of a Russian prisoner exchange​


The scene looked like it was stolen from a Hollywood script. On one end of a Turkish airport tarmac sat a Russian federal security plane. On the other was a private jet owned by a U.S. government contractor. Both had landed in secrecy within minutes of each other on April 27 to conduct a high-value prisoner exchange on neutral soil. Trevor Reed, an American citizen and Marine veteran, was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 after he allegedly endangered the “life and health” of Russian police officers in a drunken altercation. U.S. officials declared those charges baseless and negotiated a deal to secure Reed’s freedom in exchange for convicted drug-smuggling Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko.
 

Is Brittney Griner Receiving Her WNBA Salary While in Russian Jail?​


The Phoenix Mercury played their first playoff game of the postseason Wednesday night without their star center, Brittney Griner, who remains detained in a Russian penal colony after a conviction on drug charges. There is hope Griner could be back in the United States in the near future, though, after a spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry confirmed last week that Russia has been involved with the U.S. in prisoner exchange negotiations. But what would life be like for Griner should the trade be successful, returning her home soon? More specifically, what would her financial situation be like after having been locked up since February? The simple answer is that her bank account should be in decent shape. The WNBA announced in May that Griner would be paid her full salary while she remains in Russia, and the money would not count against the salary cap for the Phoenix Mercury.
 
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