Author Topic: WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges (Read 7744 times)

mountaineer · « **on:** March 05, 2022, 12:00:22 pm »

We just don't talk about the WNBA enough, do we?

WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner arrested in Russia on drug charges
By Eileen AJ Connelly
March 5, 2022 8:28am

Quote

WNBA All-Star and Olympic champion Brittney Griner faces 5 to 10 years in Russian prison after she was arrested on drug smuggling charges when she was found with vape cartridges in her carry-on luggage at a Moscow airport, according to Russian news sources.

Russia’s Interfax news agency said a female US basketball player was arrested in February, at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow after arriving on a flight from New York.

A drug sniffing dog indicated narcotics in luggage, and when the bag was X-rayed, “so-called ‘vapes'” were discovered “with a specific order,” according to Interfax, which cited the Russian Federal Customs Service.

“The expert found that the liquid is a narcotic drug cannabis oil (hashish oil),” Interax said. ...

NY Post

Probably shouldn't laugh. She's had all kinds of mental health issues and definitely needs help.

mystery-ak · « **Reply #1 on:** March 05, 2022, 12:32:15 pm »

US asks all Americans to leave Russia immediately

The State Department Saturday issued new guidance to Americans in Russia, urging them to leave "immediately."

The new guidance is a step-up from Wednesday's guidance that Americans in the country should "consider" leaving.

The U.S. embassy in Moscow also announced Ambassador Sullivan will host a virtual town hall for Americans in Russia this Wednesday.
Posted by Peter Aitken

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #2 on:** March 05, 2022, 12:40:25 pm »

Isn't she the one whose same-sex partner somehow got pregnant? The one who has persistent rumors of being a biological male?

Wingnut · « **Reply #3 on:** March 05, 2022, 12:44:29 pm »

I think I'll make me a black Russian Tonight

mystery-ak · « **Reply #4 on:** March 05, 2022, 03:04:25 pm »

U.S. State Department comments on the arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner in Russia

The U.S. State Department has commented on the arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was reportedly arrested in Russia and could face up to 10 years in prison after customs officers at an airport found "vapes" which contained hashish oil in a luggage bag in February.

"We are aware of reports of a U.S. citizen arrested in Moscow. Whenever a U.S. citizen is arrested overseas, we stand ready to provide all appropriate consular services," a State Department spokesperson said.

Fox News Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report
Posted by Adam Sabes

mystery-ak · « **Reply #5 on:** March 05, 2022, 03:20:39 pm »

Nick Adams
@NickAdamsinUSA
·
59m
Brittney Griner said she couldn't stand the American National Anthem, and now she's going to find out what life is like without The Star-Spangled Banner.

mountaineer · « **Reply #6 on:** March 05, 2022, 04:34:53 pm »

Quote from: jmyrlefuller on March 05, 2022, 12:40:25 pm

Isn't she the one whose same-sex partner somehow got pregnant? The one who has persistent rumors of being a biological male?

Right you are:

Quote

Brittney Griner Files For Annulment Days After Wife Announces Pregnancy
by Chelsea Regan
June 6, 2015, 7:56 pm

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner has filed annulment papers from wife Glory Johnson, who announced her pregnancy the day prior. ... More

Before Griner and Johnson got married, both were arrested for assaulting one another. Brittney has since married another woman.

Hoodat · « **Reply #7 on:** March 05, 2022, 04:41:14 pm »

Quote from: mystery-ak on March 05, 2022, 03:20:39 pm

Nick Adams
@NickAdamsinUSA
·
59m
Brittney Griner said she couldn't stand the American National Anthem, and now she's going to find out what life is like without The Star-Spangled Banner.

In the eyes of the Biden coup, that makes her worth saving. No telling how big of a ransom the US will end up paying to get her back. It surpass the one for Bowe Bergdahl.

mountaineer · « **Reply #8 on:** March 05, 2022, 04:43:00 pm »

Quote from: Hoodat on March 05, 2022, 04:41:14 pm

No telling how big of a ransom the US will end up paying to get her back.

Maybe we could give them a Kamala for a Brittney.

Kamaji · « **Reply #9 on:** March 05, 2022, 05:01:38 pm »

They can keep her.

GtHawk · « **Reply #10 on:** March 05, 2022, 06:26:36 pm »

Quote from: Hoodat on March 05, 2022, 04:41:14 pm

In the eyes of the Biden coup, that makes her worth saving. No telling how big of a ransom the US will end up paying to get her back. It surpass the one for Bowe Bergdahl.

Maybe if they got every WNBA fan to pony up a buck they could probably get about $200 to ransom her back. But I would bet if they just wait long enough Russia might pay the US to take her back.

Wingnut · « **Reply #11 on:** March 05, 2022, 07:22:26 pm »

and now she's going to find out what life is like without The Star-Spangled Banner.

Poor baby.

WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner faces 5 to 10 years in Russian prison, after she was arrested on drug smuggling charges when she was found with vape cartridges in her carry-on luggage at a Moscow airport, according to Russian news sources.

Her team, the Phoenix Mercury, confirmed a “situation in Russia” without mentioning specifics. “We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia,” the team said in a statement.

“We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the WNBA and NBA. We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.”
https://nypost.com/2022/03/05/all-star-brittney-griner-arrested-in-russia-on-drug-charges/

mystery-ak · « **Reply #12 on:** March 05, 2022, 07:50:54 pm »

Maybe she will like Russia's national anthem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAz7Bdqi2iQ&ab_channel=IanBerwick

libertybele · « **Reply #13 on:** March 05, 2022, 07:52:37 pm »

Quote from: mystery-ak on March 05, 2022, 07:50:54 pm

Maybe she will like Russia's national anthem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAz7Bdqi2iQ&ab_channel=IanBerwick

mystery-ak · « **Reply #14 on:** March 05, 2022, 08:28:33 pm »

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said she will be 'demanding' for the release of Griner

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said on Saturday afternoon during a press conference that she will be "demanding" for the release of WNBA player.

"I will be demanding her release. I just spoke to the State Department to try to get them to focus on her circumstances," Lee said. "Putin has disregarded sovereign nations his entire service in this world. And anyone that is killing and attacking and destroying Ukraine, their neighboring country that is not involved in them has no right to hold Ms. Griner. Period."

Lee said that any legal disputes should be dealt with diplomatically, and said that Griner should be released.

Griner is from Houston, which Lee represents.
Posted by Adam Sabes

Putin

mountaineer · « **Reply #15 on:** March 05, 2022, 09:58:06 pm »

Lee offers such a cogent and persuasive argument. Griner ought to tell Sheila that the best way to help her is to butt out and shut up.

dfwgator · « **Reply #16 on:** March 05, 2022, 11:05:50 pm »

Quote from: Wingnut on March 05, 2022, 12:44:29 pm

I think I'll make me a black Russian Tonight

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28C0A4CEUsc

dfwgator · « **Reply #17 on:** March 05, 2022, 11:07:25 pm »

Quote from: mystery-ak on March 05, 2022, 03:20:39 pm

Nick Adams
@NickAdamsinUSA
·
59m
Brittney Griner said she couldn't stand the American National Anthem, and now she's going to find out what life is like without The Star-Spangled Banner.

Let her rot.

Kamaji · « **Reply #18 on:** March 06, 2022, 09:46:14 am »

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee demands Russia release Brittney Griner: ‘No right’

By Andrew Mark Miller, Fox News
March 6, 2022

Texas Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is demanding the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner who was detained by authorities in Russia for allegedly possessing a vape with cannabis oil.

“We know that there were some issues dealing with vape cartridges and other items but let me be very clear,” Lee, who represents Griner’s hometown of Houston, Texas, in Congress, said on Saturday. “Brittney Griner is a United States citizen, she was a guest in Russia…and I will be demanding her release.”

Lee added that she has spoken with the State Department to “try and get them to focus on her circumstances.”

“I don’t want to disregard a sovereign nation but Putin has disregarded sovereign nations his entire service in this world,” Lee said. “Anyone that is killing and attacking and destroying Ukraine, a neighboring country that is not bothering them, has no right to hold Ms. Griner. Period.”

* * *

Source: https://nypost.com/2022/03/06/rep-sheila-jackson-lee-demands-russia-release-wnba-player-brittney-griner/

Kamaji · « **Reply #19 on:** March 06, 2022, 09:46:48 am »

Why dontcha just hop on over there, Ms. Lee? I'm sure the Russians would be happy to have you there in person - and so would the rest of us.

SZonian · « **Reply #20 on:** March 06, 2022, 09:57:17 am »

They had every right you stupid twit.

And to pressure the State Dept. to "focus on her" vs. the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine just shows the depths of your stupidity.

Or is it simply because "she" is black?

Kamaji · « **Reply #21 on:** March 06, 2022, 10:44:14 am »

Quote from: SZonian on March 06, 2022, 09:57:17 am

They had every right you stupid twit.

And to pressure the State Dept. to "focus on her" vs. the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine just shows the depths of your stupidity.

Or is it simply because "she" is black?

One guess!

mystery-ak · « **Reply #22 on:** March 06, 2022, 10:58:06 am »

Fears Putin will use WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner, 31, as a 'high-profile hostage' after she was detained on arrival at Moscow airport three WEEKS ago with 'cannabis-filled vape pen': Faces 10 YEARS in jail

Brittney Griner, 31, who plays in the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury was arrested last month in Russia and charged with drug smuggling
A drug-sniffing dog was drawn to her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow
Russian customs officials inspected the bag and found vape cartridges
She was charge with smuggling a 'significant amount' of drugs, a crime carrying a penalty of five to ten years
Griner remains in custody and the team said they are 'monitoring the situation'
The arrest comes as Russia is increasingly cut off from the rest of the world due to the country's invasion of Ukraine

By Janon Fisher For Dailymail.Com

Published: 12:51 EST, 5 March 2022 | Updated: 08:21 EST, 6 March 2022

American women's basketball great Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for at least three weeks after the two-time Olympic gold medal winner and seven time WNBA All-Star was arrested at a Moscow airport for allegedly having a vape pen filled with hash oil.

Griner, 31, was detained last month while flying in to play for her Russian basketball team during the WNBA offseason, but there has been no confirmed date of when she was arrested. Her last communication was on February 5 when she posted a photo to Instagram of her and her Phoenix Mercury teammates.

Now Russia might use Griner as leverage as she faces up to 10 years in prison on the drug smuggling charge.

'If we want her out of jail, Russia is going to have some terms,' Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine Evelyn Farkas told Yahoo Sports. 'It could be a prisoner swap. They also could use it as an implicit threat or blackmail to get us to do something or not do something. Either way, they find it useful.'

In a statement to DailyMail.com on Saturday, Griner's agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas did not dispute reports of her client's detention.

more
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10581049/WNBA-Star-Brittney-Griner-arrested-Russia-drug-smuggling-charges-Moscow-airport.html

Kamaji · « **Reply #23 on:** March 06, 2022, 11:01:23 am »

They can keep her. And send them Sheila Jackson-Lee as well.

Hoodat · « **Reply #24 on:** March 06, 2022, 11:02:51 am »

She never saw the movie Midnight Express?

GtHawk · « **Reply #25 on:** March 06, 2022, 12:26:05 pm »

“We know that there were some issues dealing with vape cartridges and other items but let me be very clear,”

Silly rabbit, when some one, whether a American or other enters Russia and are found to be carrying vape vials containing hashish oil in their luggage they are considered a drug smuggler not a tourist. That's a concept even someone as simpleminded and ignorant Ms. Lee should be able to grasp, also I really don't see Russia being overly eager to play nice considering the current situations.

Perhaps Lee should have ended her demand to the Russians with this classic quote of hers:
“I am a queen, and I demand to be treated like a queen.”
-- Sheila Jackson Lee

mountaineer · « **Reply #26 on:** March 06, 2022, 12:41:11 pm »

Quote

Fears Putin will use WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner, 31, as a 'high-profile hostage'

Is she really all that high profile? I suspect most Americans barely know the WNBA exists, let alone can name a handful of players. Bottom line is that all airports are on the lookout for illegal drugs. She should have known better.

DCPatriot · « **Reply #27 on:** March 06, 2022, 01:11:35 pm »

Quote from: mountaineer on March 06, 2022, 12:41:11 pm

Is she really all that high profile? I suspect most Americans barely know the WNBA exists, let alone can name a handful of players. Bottom line is that all airports are on the lookout for illegal drugs. She should have known better.

My bet is that she's going to be released very soon...no questions asked. But never allowed to return.

Marijuana today is as common as beer and wine. And becoming de-criminalized in the majority of States.

Vape..Toke...Gummy

"At this point what difference does it make?" - Hillary Clinton (NOT POTUS)

mystery-ak · « **Reply #28 on:** March 06, 2022, 01:28:22 pm »

Brittney Griner's wife posts on Instagram about WNBA star's detainment in Russia
Kalhan Rosenblatt - 2h ago

WNBA star Brittney Griner's wife has posted to Instagram about the Phoenix Mercury player's detention in Russia.

Griner was detained after Russian officials said they found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow.

The offense could carry up to 10 years in prison.

Griner's wife Cherelle Griner posted an image of her and her wife to Instagram on Saturday, thanking supporters and asking for privacy as the family navigates returning Brittney Grier home.

"Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated. I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life," Cherelle Griner wrote.

She acknowledged that many were hoping for more details about Brittney Griner's status.

more
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/more-sports/brittney-griners-wife-posts-on-instagram-about-wnba-stars-detainment-in-russia/ar-AAUH2gB?ocid=mailsignout&li=BBnb7Kz

mountaineer · « **Reply #29 on:** March 06, 2022, 01:31:48 pm »

Quote

Griner's wife Cherelle Griner posted an image of her and her wife to Instagram on Saturday, thanking supporters and asking for privacy

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #30 on:** March 06, 2022, 06:29:33 pm »

To Hell with the BLM activist. Let her rot at the hands of the evil caucasians. Let her find her heaven with the prison lesbos.

Kamaji · « **Reply #31 on:** March 06, 2022, 07:23:43 pm »

Quote from: Cyber Liberty on March 06, 2022, 06:29:33 pm

To Hell with the BLM activist. Let her rot at the hands of the evil caucasians. Let her find her heaven with the prison lesbos.

mystery-ak · « **Reply #32 on:** March 08, 2022, 03:08:43 pm »

Russian Authorities Release First Photo of WNBA Player Brittney Griner Since Arrest

Warner Todd Huston 8 Mar 2022

Russian authorities have released the first photo of WNBA star Brittney Griner since her arrest three weeks ago in a Russian airport.

The photo shows the 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury player standing with her back to a wall and holding up what looks to be a piece of paper with her name written on it, according to the New York Post.

The photo was taken after Griner was detained in Moscow, supposedly on drug charges, for having vaping cartridges that authorities said contained cannabis oils in her luggage. Russian authorities had also refused to say precisely when Griner was arrested, but she has been out of touch with her family and friends for three weeks.

Griner was in Russia to play with the Russian women’s basketball team UMMC Ekaterinburg.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/03/08/russian-authorities-release-first-photo-of-wnba-player-brittney-griner-since-arrest/

Kamaji · « **Reply #33 on:** March 08, 2022, 03:31:30 pm »

Sucks to be you! Shouldn't have been dragging drugs into another country.

mystery-ak · « **Reply #34 on:** March 08, 2022, 05:01:30 pm »

Antony Blinken: U.S. Will ‘Provide Every Possible Assistance’ to WNBA Player Arrested in Russia

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Sunday the U.S. is ready to “provide every possible assistance” to seven-time All-Star WNBA center Brittney Griner.

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/03/08/antony-blinken-u-s-will-provide-every-possible-assistance-wnba-player-arrested-russia/

Kamaji · « **Reply #35 on:** March 08, 2022, 05:45:13 pm »

Quote from: mystery-ak on March 08, 2022, 05:01:30 pm

Antony Blinken: U.S. Will ‘Provide Every Possible Assistance’ to WNBA Player Arrested in Russia

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement Sunday the U.S. is ready to “provide every possible assistance” to seven-time All-Star WNBA center Brittney Griner.

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/03/08/antony-blinken-u-s-will-provide-every-possible-assistance-wnba-player-arrested-russia/

Please don't. There are plenty of much more deserving people out there you could be focusing on.

GtHawk · « **Reply #36 on:** March 08, 2022, 05:49:13 pm »

Quote from: Kamaji on March 08, 2022, 05:45:13 pm

Please don't. There are plenty of much more deserving people out there you could be focusing on.

Are there still Americans in Afghanistan that need to be gotten out? You know Americans that aren't drug traffickers who are at a greater risk of harm than a a semi sorta of mediocre celebrity in a Russian jail?

Kamaji · « **Reply #37 on:** March 08, 2022, 05:57:28 pm »

Quote from: GtHawk on March 08, 2022, 05:49:13 pm

Are there still Americans in Afghanistan that need to be gotten out? You know Americans that aren't drug traffickers who are at a greater risk of harm than a a semi sorta of mediocre celebrity in a Russian jail?

berdie · « **Reply #38 on:** March 14, 2022, 04:39:57 pm »

I wonder if she is smart enough to be shakin' in her shoes.

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #39 on:** March 15, 2022, 08:36:31 am »

Well, if she's all BLM and such, she should be thankful this isn't in Russia's more avidly Marxist days.

She would have just been taken out and shot.

mystery-ak · « **Reply #40 on:** March 17, 2022, 02:39:42 pm »

Russia to Detain WNBA Star Brittney Griner Two More Months

Dylan Gwinn 17 Mar 2022

A Russian court has decided to extend WNBA star Brittney Griner’s detention in Moscow for two more months, according to a report.

Griner, a Houston-native who plays for the WNBA’s Pheonix Mercury in addition to playing in Russia when the WNBA is not in season, has been held in a Russian jail since last month after being arrested for having vaping cartridges that contained cannabis oils.

The cartridges were detected in her luggage during an airport security check as she was preparing to leave the country.

TASS, the Russian news agency, reported that a judge had extended Griner’s detention to at least May 19.

“The court granted the petition of the investigation and extended the term of detention of U.S. citizen Griner,” the court ruled.

more
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/03/17/russia-to-detain-wnba-star-brittney-griner-two-more-months/

Kamaji · « **Reply #41 on:** March 17, 2022, 02:57:58 pm »

Keep her for as long as you like!

Cyber Liberty · « **Reply #42 on:** March 17, 2022, 03:12:51 pm »

Quote from: Kamaji on March 17, 2022, 02:57:58 pm

Keep her for as long as you like!

DefiantMassRINO · « **Reply #43 on:** March 17, 2022, 03:21:38 pm »

What Happens in Russia ~~Stays In Russia~~ Is Anybody's Guess

mystery-ak · « **Reply #44 on:** March 23, 2022, 01:59:36 pm »

Report: WNBA’s Brittney Griner Could Face 5 Years in Russian Labor Camp Over Drug Charges

Warner Todd Huston 23 Mar 2022

WNBA star Brittney Griner could face a dire sentence of up to five years in a Russian labor camp if convicted in Russia on drug charges, according to a report.

The 31-year-old Griner, who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, was arrested in a Moscow airport in February and charged with having illegal cannabis in vaping cartridges in her luggage.

A Fox News analyst recently noted that Griner could face between five and ten years for drug smuggling if convicted. And some of that time could be spent in a labor camp, expert Peter Maggs told Fox News.

more'
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/03/23/report-wnbas-brittney-griner-could-face-5-years-in-russian-labor-camp-over-drug-charges/

Smokin Joe · « **Reply #45 on:** March 23, 2022, 02:49:01 pm »

She could have just thrown those cartridges away before she got to the airport and avoided all this...

Oops. Caught. Tough shitsky.

mountaineer · « **Reply #46 on:** March 23, 2022, 03:07:10 pm »

Wow. That's gonna be rough.

GtHawk · « **Reply #47 on:** March 23, 2022, 03:17:40 pm »

Quote from: mountaineer on March 23, 2022, 03:07:10 pm

Wow. That's gonna be rough.

Maybe she can make the time pass easier by organizing a basketball team or two while thinking how different things might be if she was a member of the NBA.

mystery-ak · « **Reply #48 on:** March 23, 2022, 03:59:13 pm »

State Department: WNBA Star Brittney Griner in ‘Good Condition’ in Russian Jail

23 Mar 2022

The U.S. State Department said Wednesday that a U.S. Embassy official has visited with WNBA star Brittney Griner, who remains detained near Moscow, to check on her condition.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price told CNN the official found Griner “to be in good condition.” Price did not identify the official who had been granted consular access to Griner, something the United States had been demanding.

Griner was detained after arriving at a Moscow airport, reportedly in mid-February, after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges that allegedly contained oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

Russian state news agency Tass reported last week that a court had extended Griner’s pretrial detention to May 19.

Price says the U.S. “will do everything we can to see that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal.” Griner’s legal ordeal comes amid tension between Russia and the U.S. over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

A member of a Russian state-backed prison monitoring group visited with Griner last week at the pretrial detention facility outside Moscow where she’s being held and said the Phoenix Mercury star was faring well behind bars.

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/03/23/state-department-wnba-star-brittney-griner-in-good-condition-in-russian-jail/

mountaineer · « **Reply #49 on:** April 12, 2022, 10:54:55 am »

UPDATE

WNBA's Cathy Engelbert on Brittney Griner: 'We know she's safe,' we 'need to be patient'
Jason Owens
April 11, 2022, 8:10 PM

Before celebrating the arrival of the next generation of WNBA players on Monday, commissioner Cathy Engelbert addressed the perilous plight of one of the game's biggest stars.

Engelbert kicked off Monday's WNBA draft with an update on Phoenix Mercury All-Star Brittney Griner, who remains imprisoned in a Russian jail. Engelbert didn't provide specifics on Griner's situation, but did assure reporters that Griner is "safe."

"Obviously we’re getting a ton of support from the government, from specialists," Engelbert said. "And her representation is able to visit with Brittney.

"We know she’s safe, but we want to get her home. So it’s just a very complex situation right now and we’re following the advice. There’s not a day that goes by that we’re not talking to someone that has views on what we’re doing and how we’re moving forward." ... Yahoo sports