Griner was transferred to a penal colony in Mordovia, about 350 kilometers (210 miles) east of Moscow, after a Russian court last month rejected an appeal of her sentence. Her lawyers said they visited her earlier this week. “Brittney is doing as well as can be expected and is trying to stay strong as she adjusts to a new environment,” her lawyers said in a statement. The all-star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and two-time Olympic gold medalist was arrested in February when customs agents said they found vapor containers containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. At her trial, Griner admitted to having the containers in her luggage, but testified that she inadvertently packed them in her haste to fly and had no criminal intent. Her defense team presented written statements saying she was prescribed cannabis to treat chronic pain. He was convicted in August and sentenced to nine years in prison. The Biden administration has been trying for months to negotiate the release of Griner and another American imprisoned in Russia, Michigan corporate security executive Paul Whelan, including through a possible prisoner exchange with Moscow. Whelan was also sent to a penal colony in Mordovia after being convicted of espionage-related charges in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. President Joe Biden told reporters last week that he hopes Russian President Vladimir Putin will be more willing to negotiate Griner’s release now that the U.S. midterm elections are over. “I hope that now that the election is over, Mr. Putin will be able to talk to us and be willing to talk more seriously about a prisoner exchange,” Biden said.
Follow Eric Tucker on Twitter at
