What's Next For Brittney Griner After Her Russian Prison Sentence?

If Brittney Griner is sentenced to a prison term in Russia, her fate now depends on diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia. Her lawyer has maintained that she did not intend to break Russian law. Depending on the response of the Russian government, her fate could be exchanged with the runner-up in the WNBA draft, Paul Whelan.

Brittney Griner's fate now depends on diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia

The WNBA and other basketball players showed their solidarity with Griner during her detention, but they have been uncharacteristically silent since the verdict. While Griner has been denied access to her own email account, her teammates have sent her hundreds of emails. The WNBA hasn't released them, but the WNBA Players' Union has shared them with members. The emails aren't released publicly, but Russian officials examine them before Griner can see them. Despite the fact that Russian officials have access to her emails, Griner can't read them because she is compelled to dictate or handwrite her response.

The detention of Griner is a complicated legal case, and Griner's fate now depends on diplomatic ties between the two nations. If Griner is convicted of espionage, she could be eligible for a presidential pardon. However, if Griner's trial is delayed, she can file for a pardon.

Her lawyer argues she did not intend to break Russian law

The singer's lawyer argued that the arrest was an "unlawful act" because she never intended to take illegal drugs in the first place. She testified that she did not read her rights while detained and signed a document she did not understand. Her passport was taken and she was denied the right to see a lawyer until the next day. During the trial, Griner became emotionally involved and cried profusely. The jury's verdict is awaiting the outcome of the case.

At the trial, Griner's attorney said that she did not intend to break the law and was not in possession of any marijuana in Russia. She never used marijuana in Russia and had no reason to bring vape cartridges to Russia. Furthermore, Griner's lawyer said that she didn't know how strict the Russian law was and had used her phone's Google translate feature to understand the proceedings in court. She was also not provided with the chance to speak her native language to Russian authorities.

Russia's response to the U.S. government's offer

The latest news in the case of Brittney Griner, a Grammy-winning country singer, is that she is being held by the Russian government and faces a lengthy prison sentence of nine and a half years. Although the Russian government has denied that it is holding Griner, the U.S. State Department has reclassified Griner's detention as "wrongful", and the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs has been assigned to the case. Initially, the U.S. government negotiated for her release before she went to trial, but the escalating prison sentence may make her less likely to be released.

Russia's foreign minister has indicated that he has no plans to swap Griner for Viktor Bout. But Russian officials have said that they would like to see the country's legal system play out before deciding whether or not to swap Griner for the former Chechen fighter. The United States and Russia have been working together to try and isolate Russia in the Middle East for the past year.

The chance she could be swapped with Paul Whelan

The Biden administration has offered a prisoner swap in the wake of the controversial arrest and subsequent sentence of basketball star Brittney Griner. The WNBA star was arrested in Russia in February, accused of drug possession. She has been awaiting trial since February. Her family has repeatedly called on the White House to secure her release. Paul Whelan, meanwhile, has been in prison in Russia since 2018 on espionage charges. While he has been in prison for a year and a half, observers say he is wrongfully detained.

Bout, who is currently serving a 25-year sentence for conspiring to kill American citizens, may be in line for a swap. He is serving a 25-year prison sentence for providing assistance to a terrorist group, and his multiple citizenships have been used to justify his sentence. The case of Bout has received national attention and the government of Russia may have leverage when negotiating the swap. It could also increase the pressure on the White House to negotiate Griner's release.