WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th July, 2022) US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said on Thursday, when asked about WNBA player Brittney Griner pleading guilty in a Russian court on the charge of smuggling cannabis oil, that they continue to believe the US athlete was wrongfully detained.
"The Russian Federation is wrongfully detaining Brittney under intolerable circumstances," Kirby told a conference call. "I won't speak to the specifics of her legal case. That's really a question put to her representatives, but the President's been clear about the need to see every American wrongfully detained or held hostage to be released, including Brittney."
The Biden administration continues to work on Griner's and other Americans' cases very aggressively, Kirby said.
On February 17, Griner was detained at a Moscow airport for allegedly carrying cannabis oil in her luggage. If convicted on the charge against her, Griner faces a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Griner was playing for the UMMC Yekaterinburg basketball team in Russia during the WNBA off-season.
