Rally held in Phoenix for WNBA star Brittney Griner as she remains in Russian jail
The rally, which was put on by a group called the Shining Light Foundation, aims to raise continued awareness for Griner, who has been detained in Russia since February. FOX 10’s Bailey Miller reports.
The U.S. State Department would later reclassify Griner as being “wrongfully detained.”
“She violated Russian law, and now she’s being prosecuted. It’s not about being a hostage. There are lots of American citizens here. They’re enjoying their freedoms… but you have to obey the laws,” Peskov told the outlet.
A Moscow court extended Griner’s detention until July 2. It was the third time her detention has been extended, Russian state-run media TASS reported. She’s been held ever since with limited public appearances.
Griner has been rumored to be potentially involved in a detainee swap involving Viktor Bout, who is in the middle of a 25-year sentence in federal prison after he was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans relating to the support of a Colombian terrorist organization.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said a prisoner swap with the U.S. was not being considered “until a court investigation into her case is completed.”
Bout was dubbed the “Merchant of Death” because of his notoriety for running a fleet of aging Soviet-era cargo planes to conflict-ridden hotspots in Africa. His dealings inspired the Nicolas Cage film “Lord of War.”
Russia’s TASS agency reported last month, citing a source, that talks were underway in a prisoner exchange: Griner for Bout.
Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photos by Williams Paul/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images and Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images)
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WNBA star Brittney Griner tried to call her wife nearly a dozen times through the American embassy in Russia on the couple’s fourth anniversary on June 18, but they never connected since the phone line at the embassy was not staffed, Cherelle Griner said.
WNBA star Brittney Griner’s hometown of Houston rallies for her return from Russian detainment
A big crowd showed up at June 6’s vigil for Britney Griner at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Among the crowd was congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, the Mayor of Houston, the NAACP Houston and many of her supporters. Griner plays for the Phoenix Mercury.
Watch: Phoenix Mercury’s Brittney Griner detained in Russia after vapes found in luggage
Phoenix Mercury player and WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been jailed in Russia after vape cartridges were found in her luggage at a Moscow airport, according to multiple reports. A Russian news agency reported that Griner could spend 5 to 10 years in prison on drug smuggling charges, according to the New York Post. Credit: Federal Customs Service of Russia via Storyful
Brittney Griner detention: Putin spokesman denies WNBA star being held hostage
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