Russian authorities have sent WNBA star Brittney Griner to a penal colony
WNBA star Brittney Griner has been moved from a Moscow jail to an undisclosed penal colony. Back in August, the court sentenced Griner to nine years in the prison facility after she was arrested in February for carrying hashish oil in her luggage.
Shortly after her sentencing, Griner’s lawyers told The New York Times that the verdict was “absolutely unreasonable” and said they “will certainly file an appeal”.
On 25 October, the Moscow Regional Court court held the Olympic athlete’s appeal hearing – which featured Griner participating via video. “I’ve been here almost eight months, and people with more severe crimes have been given less than what I was given,” the beloved basketball player said during the hearing (per CNN). “I really hope the court will adjust this sentence because it has been very, very stressful and very traumatic to my mental and my psyche and being away from my family, not being able to communicate.” However despite Griner’s statement and her lawyer’s calling out the court’s unjustified ruling, the judge doubled down on Griner’s original nine-year- prison sentence.
The judge also ruled that the young athlete’s time in detention will be applied to her overall sentence – meaning she’ll serve just over eight years.
