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WNBA star Brittney Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in Russia

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:


  • WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession and smuggling charges in Russia.
  • On Thursday, Griner told a Moscow court she brought marijuana into the country by accident.
  • An expert on Russian politics suggested that Griner’s case could be used as a bargaining chip for a prison swap.

WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Moscow court on Thursday.

On February 17, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport over allegations that vape cartridges containing hashish oil were found in her luggage.

“I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” the two-time Olympic gold medalist said in court, according to Reuters.

Griner said she’ll give her testimony at a later time because she needs time to prepare.

On Wednesday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said at a news briefing that Griner can appeal her verdict or apply for clemency. The Foreign Ministry also disputed statements made by the White House that the WNBA star was wrongfully detained.

“The court must first deliver its verdict, but no one is stopping Brittney Griner from making use of the appeal procedure and also from requesting clemency,” a spokesperson for the ministry said, adding that “attempts to present her case as though the American woman was illegally detained do not stand up to criticism.”

Rebekah Koffler, a Russian-born former U.S. intelligence officer, told Fox News Digital on Wednesday that it would be unlikely for Russian President Vladimir Putin to grant Griner clemency. Koffler, an expert on Russian politics, added that such a highly charged case could be used as a bargaining chip for a prison swap.

“Putin and the Kremlin want to exchange Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout, the ‘Merchant of Death,’ no one else. They will drag on the entire process, including appeal, simply as a negotiating tool to get what they want out of the Biden administration,” Koffler explained. 

Koffler believes Griner is “doing the right thing” following news of her guilty plea.

“The Russians are in charge,” she added but warned that engaging in a prisoner swap to bring Griner home could be risky because it would only “embolden Russia spy services to grab more Americans on their territory who unwittingly break Russian laws.”

Griner traveled to Moscow because she plays for a Russian team during the U.S. offseason, which many WNBA players do for added incomes. She has played in Russia for the last seven years.

On Wednesday, the White House said that President Joe Biden spoke with Griner’s wife and is actively “working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world.”

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Griner, who could face up to 10 years in prison, is scheduled for the next hearing on July 14.

Source: Fox News

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3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Fred

    July 10, 2022 at 6:55 pm

    Who wants her back?

  2. Leslie

    July 10, 2022 at 9:05 pm

    Liberals want her back, they say we’re being racist, “hey, she’s not black, she’s a criminal”. Obama and Biden put merchant of death in prison, now he’s supposed to trade a Russian mass murderer for this law breaking he/she? NO WAY
    If he/she been going there for 7 yrs, should know not to break rules in their country!

    • Leslie

      July 10, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      Don’t let Russia win this round! No telling how many more people will be captured, then offered for trade!

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