The two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested on 17 February, a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, at a Moscow airport with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia. The White House has called her detention “wrongful”.
She was sentenced on 4 August to nine years in a penal colony on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs.
Early on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre issued a statement saying: “Every minute that Brittney Griner must endure wrongful detention in Russia is a minute too long,” and added that the Biden administration “continues to work tirelessly to secure her release”.
Griner had pleaded guilty but said she had made an “honest mistake” and had not meant to break the law. She was visited by US officials earlier this month, after her appeal against her sentence was denied.
Neither Griner’s exact whereabouts nor her final destination were known, the legal team said in a statement, adding that in line with Russian procedures, her attorneys as well as the US embassy should be notified upon her arrival at her destination.
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Article URL : https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/09/brittney-griner-us-basketball-star-transferred-to-penal-colony