Topline In Brittney Griner’s first statement since being freed from a Russian prison through a prisoner swap, the basketball star called for the release of Paul Whelan, who is also detained in the cou...
Tag: Brittney Griner
Russian State Media Drops Footage Of Prisoner Exchange Involving ‘Happy’ Griner
Topline State-run Russian media published videos Thursday documenting American basketball star Brittney Griner’s release from Russian custody, a surreal behind-the-scenes look at the high-profile pris...
Here’s What To Know About Russia’s ‘Merchant Of War’ And Why He Was The Prisoner Exchanged For Brittney Griner
Topline U.S. officials released convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout in their prisoner swap for WNBA star Brittney Griner Thursday morning, returning the man known as the “Merchant of Death” to Russia wh...
Brittney Griner Moves To Russian Penal Colony As Her Lawyers Warn They Don’t Know Her Precise Location
Topline WNBA star Brittney Griner is being transferred to a Russian penal colony after being convicted in August of possessing and smuggling drugs, her legal team said on Wednesday, bleak news for the...
Brittney Griner’s Release Not A Priority For Russia, Putin Aide Says
Topline The release of Brittney Griner—the WNBA star who was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison on drug charges—is not a priority for the Kremlin despite calls from President Joe Biden to free ...
Russia Could Release Griner And Whelan By End Of Year, Former UN Ambassador Richardson Claims
Topline Russian authorities may release Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan by the end of the year, Bill Richardson—a former ambassador to the United Nations who has traveled to Russia to advocate for the...
Biden Will Meet Families Of Brittney Griner And Paul Whelan
Topline President Joe Biden will meet with the families of WNBA star Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who both remain jailed in Russia, at the White House on Friday, officials told ...
Brittney Griner Appeals Drug Possession Conviction In Russia
Topline WNBA star Brittney Griner’s lawyers filed an appeal against a Moscow-area court’s ruling that convicted her of drug possession and handed her a nine-year jail term, Reuters reported on Monday,...
Brittney Griner Sentenced To 9 Years For Drug Charges By Russian Court
Topline A Russian court on Thursday sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling, after Russia made a “bad faith” response to a U.S. offer for a prison...
Brittney Griner Had Doctor’s Note For Cannabis Use, Lawyers Say In Russian Court
Topline Lawyers representing WNBA star Brittney Griner presented proof Griner received medical clearance in the U.S. for cannabis use during her Russian trial on drug charges Friday, adding credibilit...
Brittney Griner’s Russian Teammate And Director Provide Character Witness In Trial
Topline WNBA star Brittney Griner’s Russian trial over drug charges which she pleaded guilty to last week ended Thursday without a verdict, as the owner of her Russian basketball team and a teammate t...
LeBron James Wonders If Griner Should Want To Return To U.S.
Topline LeBron James said in footage released Tuesday he would consider if he would even want to return to the United States if he was in the Russian-detained WNBA star Brittney Griner’s position, sug...
People ‘Can Be Imprisoned For Almost Anything’
Russian police officers detain a man during a protest rally against the military invasion of … [+] Ukraine, on March 6, 2022, in Moscow. (Photo by Vladimir Pesnya/Epsilon/Getty Images) Getty Ima...
Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty To Russian Drug Charges
Topline WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in Russian court on Thursday, Reuters and Russian news agency Tass report, days after the trial began. WNBA basketball super...
Biden Has Long-Awaited Call With Brittney Griner’s Wife
Topline President Biden spoke Wednesday with the wife of Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for months on drug charges, days after the WNBA star sent a personal letter to the president p...
Brittney Griner Sends Handwritten Plea To Biden, Agent Says
Topline WNBA star Brittney Griner sent President Joe Biden a handwritten letter asking him to “do all you can” to bring her and other U.S. detainees home from Russia, Griner’s agents said Monday, thre...
Brittney Griner’s Trial Begins In Moscow Court—Here’s What To Watch For
Topline WNBA star Brittney Griner’s trial began near Moscow Friday, more than four months after she was arrested for allegedly breaking the country’s cannabis possession laws, even as U.S. officials c...
New Photos Show Brittney Griner In Russian Court As Trial Date Is Set For July 1
Topline American basketball star Brittney Griner’s trial in Russia will begin Friday, authorities said during Griner’s appearance in a Moscow court on Monday according to the Associated Press. Brittne...
Brittney Griner Named Honorary WNBA All-Star While Detained In Russia
Topline Detained WNBA star Brittney Griner was named an honorary starter on Wednesday for the league’s upcoming All-Star Game, with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert saying there is “no do...
State Department ‘Deeply Regrets’ Not Connecting Brittney Griner’s Call With Wife
Topline A State Department spokesperson said Tuesday the agency “deeply regrets” preventing a call from WNBA star Brittney Griner—who has been detained in Russia on drug charges since February—with he...
Kremlin Insists Brittney Griner Is Not A ‘Hostage’ After Extending Her Detention A Third Time
Topline Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pushed back against suggestions that WNBA star Brittney Griner was being held hostage by Russian authorities, in an interview with NBC News on Monday, a stat...
Brittney Griner’s Russian Detention Reportedly Extended—Again—Through July
Topline Russia extended the pre-trial detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner Tuesday until at least July 2, state media outlet TASS reported, despite ongoing efforts to have her released since she was...
LeBron James Calls On Biden To Bring Brittney Griner Home From Russia
Topline LeBron James joined the growing voices calling for WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release from Russia, where she has been detained on drug charges for over 100 days, as the NBA community becomes ...
Brittney Griner Communicating Through Email From Russian Detention
Topline WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February on drug charges, is able to communicate with her fellow teammates and league players in writing, the Associated Press ...
Lawmakers Introduce Resolution To Free Brittney Griner From Russia
Topline Three members of the House of Representatives introduced a resolution to push for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February on drug charges. Brit...
Secretary Of State Reportedly Told Brittney Griner’s Wife Her Release Has His Full Attention
Topline Secretary of State Anthony Blinken told the wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner that the government is working hard to gain her release from Russia, according to CNN and NBC, one day after Grine...
Brittney Griner’s Russian Detention Reportedly Extended By 30 Days
Topline Russian authorities extended the pre-trial detention of WNBA star Brittney Griner for 30 days during a Friday court hearing in Moscow, according to ESPN and the Associated Press, in what’s the...
Brittney Griner Remains ‘Top Priority’ As Russia Releases Trevor Reed
Topline A State Department spokesman said WNBA player Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia in February and faces up to 10 years in prison in the country on drug charges, remains a “top priority...
WNBA Players, Commissioner Call For Brittney Griner’s Return From Russia
Topline Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBA Players Association, called for Brittney Griner’s safe return from Russia on Good Morning America Tuesday, after commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Grine...
Why It Seems Like The World Has Abandoned Brittney Griner
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 06: Brittney Griner #42 of the Phoenix Mercury during the first half in … [+] Game Four of the 2021 WNBA semifinals at Footprint Center on October 06, 2021 in Ph...