Brittney Griner news – update: WNBA star heads to penal colony where abuse, forced work common - The Independent

Phoneix Mercury president reacts to Griner’s entreaty being rejected: ‘There are things much important than basketball'

The president of the Phoenix Mercury, the WNBA squad that Brittney Griner plays for, called for bringing the eight-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year location aft learning of her entreaty being rejected connected Tuesday.

“It’s hard to accidental she’s doing well, fixed the condition ... unluckily we were hoping for immoderate mercy contiguous and we didn’t person immoderate of that,” said president Vince Kozar.

“This is simply a reminder that determination are things that are a batch much important than hoops and Brittney coming location is astatine the very, very, precise apical of that database for each of us, adjacent if she comes location time and ne'er plays again,” helium said erstwhile asked astir the precise existent anticipation that the 32-year-old mightiness ne'er play successful the WNBA again.

Watch the afloat clip here:

Johanna Chisholm26 October 2022 15:33

Teammates, hoops players crossed the WNBA league stock messages for Brittney Griner

With the quality that Brittney Griner’s entreaty to person her nine-year situation condemnation acquitted oregon reduced was rejected by a Russian tribunal connected Tuesday, colleagues and peers from crossed the hoops satellite began sharing their tributes to the detained 32-year-old.

“a sister, daughter, wife, teammate, friend, Olympian, activist, assemblage leader, champion… that should beryllium astatine location with her loved ones. 250 days excessively many,” tweeted Natalie Achonwa, a Canadian WNBA subordinate with the Minnesota Lynx.

Bria Nicole Hartley, a French-American nonrecreational hoops subordinate for the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, tweeted, “We miss you and we emotion you BG,” portion Emma Meesseman, who plays successful some the Russian Premier League and the WNBA with the Chicago Sky, wrote, “BG should beryllium with her family,” alongside the hashtag #FreeBG.

Kia Nurse, Ms Griner’s teammate connected the Phoenix Mercury and a Canadian hoops player, tweeted, my bosom goes retired to BG and her loved ones. We emotion you and we miss you. Bring her home,” with the hashtag #WeareBG

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Johanna Chisholm26 October 2022 14:30

ICYMI: What happened to WNBA prima Brittney Griner and wherefore is she detained successful Russia?

WNBA prima Brittney Griner, 32, has been detained successful Russia since February aft amerciable cannibas lipid was allegedly recovered successful her luggage by officials astatine a Moscow airport.

Her detainment occurred soon earlier Russia launched its warfare successful Ukraine, with geopolitical tensions making it undoubtedly much hard to unafraid her release.

Ms Griner’s family, friends and fans – alongside galore nationalist figures – person been calling connected Russia to escaped her for months and for the US State Department to intervene.

She pleaded blameworthy to cause charges successful July earlier being sentenced to 9 years down bars the pursuing month.

An entreaty proceeding successful Russian tribunal was held connected Tuesday. Despite Maria Blagovolina, 1 of the lawyers representing Ms Griner, arguing that the “punishment imposed connected Griner does not correspond to the gravity of the crime,” a Russian tribunal denied Ms Griner’s entreaty to trim her situation sentence.

Here’s everything we cognize astir the ordeal:

Johanna Chisholm26 October 2022 13:30

What’s adjacent for Brittney Griner aft Russia tribunal rejects her entreaty of nine-year situation sentence?

ICYMI: The WNBA star’s lawyers said their lawsuit volition beryllium transferred to a Russian penal colony successful the adjacent fewer months.

Johanna Chisholm has the story.

Johanna Chisholm26 October 2022 12:28

US State Department spokesperson says ‘sad for justness successful Russia’

ICYMI: US State Department spokesperson Ned Price spoke with CNN connected Tuesday, soon aft a Russian tribunal upheld its nine-year situation condemnation of WNBA prima Brittney Griner and blasted the proceeding arsenic a “sham” and a “sad time for justness successful Russia”.

The spokesperson added that the US continues to “engage with the Russians,” with conversations taking spot arsenic precocious arsenic the past fewer days.

“We are continuing to impulse them to engage, and to prosecute earnestly connected this due to the fact that we privation to spot Paul [Whelan], we privation to spot Brittney [Griner] returned to their loving families,” helium said, highlighting the different American who is serving a 16-year condemnation successful Russia for espionage.

Watch the afloat clip below:

Graeme Massie26 October 2022 12:02

Former Obama White House authoritative comparison Griner to ‘prisoner of war'

David Axelrod, a erstwhile Obama-era White House authoritative who served arsenic the erstwhile president’s elder advisor, compared Brittney Griner’s detention successful Russia connected Tuesday to that of a “prisoner of war”.

“Poor ⁦@brittneygriner⁩ efficaciously has go a captive of war--a tragic pawn successful a larger game,” tweeted the erstwhile main strategist for Barack Obama‘s statesmanlike campaigns aft learning that the WNBA star’s entreaty to person her situation condemnation reduced oregon acquitted had been rejected by a Moscow court.

Graeme Massie26 October 2022 11:05

Brittney Griner to service remaining 8 years of nine-year situation sentence, tribunal rules

ICYMI: Throughout Tuesday’s proceedings, Brittney Griner’s lawyers argued that her punishment was excessive, highlighting however akin cases successful the state had amounted to overmuch little terrible sentences of 5 years. About a 3rd of those cases, they noted, were granted parole.

Their efforts to acquit oregon trim the WNBA star’s nine-year situation condemnation would beryllium fruitless, arsenic soon aft the proceeding concluded the justice presiding implicit the proceeding announced that the Russian tribunal would beryllium upholding the condemnation handed down successful August.

Read the afloat study from The Independent here.

Graeme Massie26 October 2022 10:03

US Embassy successful Moscow says it’s ‘another bittersweet time for the regularisation of instrumentality successful Russia'

The US Embassy successful Moscow took to Twitter connected Tuesday to respond to the quality that Brittney Griner’s proceeding had ended with the Russian tribunal rejecting her defence team’s petition for an acquittal oregon simplification successful her nine-year situation sentence.

“Another bittersweet time for the regularisation of instrumentality successful Russia. Ms. Griner’s excessive and disproportionate condemnation of 9 years remains. The U.S. authorities continues to see Brittney wrongfully detained,” tweeted the embassy’s authoritative Twitter account.

Graeme Massie26 October 2022 09:01

Griner’s lawyers accidental it volition beryllium immoderate clip earlier she is moved to captive colony

Brittney Griner’s lawyers said successful a prepared connection that their client’s main fearfulness close present is that she volition beryllium forced to service retired the afloat nine-year sentence, Reuters reported.

“Brittney’s biggest fearfulness is that she is not exchanged and volition person to service the full condemnation successful Russia. She had hopes for contiguous arsenic each month, each time distant from her household and friends matters to her,” the connection read.

They added that it instrumentality immoderate clip earlier the 32-year-old was relocated to a situation colony, wherever she has been sentenced to service the remainder of her nine-year sentence.

Graeme Massie26 October 2022 07:57

Griner’s lawyers anticipation hoops prima tin beryllium released successful captive exchange

Speaking to reporters extracurricular the Moscow courtroom wherever US hoops prima Brittney Griner’s entreaty was rejected, lawyers for the WNBA subordinate said they hoped that she could find state done a captive speech overseen by her country’s government.

“We anticipation that an speech is possible,” said defence lawyer Alexander Boykov connected Tuesday, adding that his squad plans to talk with Ms Griner successful the adjacent mates of days.

Ultimately, helium noted, the determination present lies with Ms Griner astir whether she wants her ineligible squad to prosecute a 2nd entreaty of the verdict that volition support her down bars for 8 much years, aft her pre-trial detention clip served knocked disconnected a fewer months of her nine-year sentence.

Graeme Massie26 October 2022 07:01

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