Brittney Griner was moved over 200 miles exterior Moscow, attorneys say

WNBA star Brittney Griner was relocated to a penal colony in Mordovia, about 210 miles east of Moscow, to serve her nine-year sentence, her attorneys and agent stated Thursday.

Griner’s attorneys, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, had introduced final week that the WNBA star had been transferred to a Russian penal colony however that they didn’t know her vacation spot on the time.

“Brittney is doing in addition to might be anticipated and making an attempt to remain robust as she adapts to a brand new surroundings,” her attorneys stated in an announcement, noting that they’d visited together with her earlier this week.

Griner’s agent, Lindsay Colas, stated the Phoenix Mercury heart was “making an attempt to remain robust” amid the circumstances.

“Regardless of the very fact she is alone and now nearing her ninth month in detention separated from her family members, she is making an attempt to remain robust,” Colas stated in an announcement. “At the moment, we won’t be sharing any additional particulars, however need to categorical our deepest because of the Biden Administration, the Richardson Heart, and to everybody who has reached out to supply phrases of encouragement to her.”

Griner’s household had dreaded her impending transfer to a penal colony ever for the reason that enchantment of her conviction was denied Oct. 25. Russian penal colonies are recognized for having far harsher situations than the Moscow jail the place Griner has been since she was detained in February.

Griner pleaded responsible to drug smuggling costs in July following her arrest at a Moscow-area airport Feb. 17, when she was discovered with vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil whereas making an attempt to enter Russia to hitch her membership crew in Ekaterinburg. At her trial, Griner admitted to having the canisters in her baggage however testified she packed them inadvertently in her haste to make her flight and had no legal intent. Her protection crew introduced written statements saying she had been prescribed hashish to deal with power ache.

She was given her nine-year sentence in August earlier than shedding her enchantment final month.

U.S. officers declared in Might that Griner was being wrongfully detained and have referred to as her trial and enchantment political theater. The Biden administration has been making an attempt for months to barter the discharge of Griner and one other American jailed in Russia, Michigan company safety govt Paul Whelan. Whelan was additionally despatched to a penal colony in Mordovia after being convicted of espionage-related costs in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in jail.

Info from ESPN’s T.J. Quinn and The Related Press was used on this report.