Britney Griner was sent to Russian penal colony to serve her sentence, lawyer says

American basketball star Britney Griner has been sent to a Russian penal colony on drug charges, her lawyers announced Wednesday.

A Russian court last month dismissed an appeal from her nine-year sentence. The eight-time All-Star center, home to WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and two-time Olympic gold medalist, said police found an e-cigarette canister containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. He was found guilty on August 4th.

Her arrest came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, days before Russia sent troops to Ukraine.

Griner’s lawyers said she left the detention center on November 4 and headed for a penal colony. A common type of prison in Russia where detainees work for minimum wage. Her attorney said Wednesday that she did not know exactly where she was or where she ended up, but expected to be notified when she reached her final destination. The transfer may take several days.

See | Court Dismisses Appeal of Griner’s Judgment.

The 32-year-old star, who was detained when he returned to play for the Russian team during the WNBA offseason, admitted he had a canister in his luggage. However, she inadvertently packed her luggage in haste, and she testified that she had no criminal intentions. Her legal team has filed a written statement that she was prescribed cannabis to treat her pain.

White House Press Secretary Carine Jean-Pierre said: “One minute is too long for Britney Griner to endure unjust detention in Russia.” “As I said before, the U.S. government has made an important offer to the Russian people to resolve the current unacceptable and illegal detention of U.S. citizens,” she said.

The Associated Press and other news outlets reported that Washington offered to exchange Griner and Paul Whelan, an American serving a 16-year sentence for espionage in Russia, for Victor Bout. Bout is a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the United States and once earned the nickname “The Merchant of Death.”