Could Brittney Griner be set for a prisoner exchange after pleading guilty to drug charges in Russia?
With a court date set for July 14th, the WNBA star can only hope her guilty plea was enough to win some degree of favor from the Russia legal system.
The clouded future of WNBA star Brittney Griner has become even more uncertain as it was reported that she plead guilty to drug charges.
WNBA’s Brittney Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in Russia
According to reports on Thursday, Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court. As a result, Griner now faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. Incidentally, Griner also gave a statement before the presiding judge, in which she maintained that she at no point intended to break Russian law. “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” Griner said in English, which was then translated to Russian for the court proceedings. “I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare.”
How did Brittney Griner get here?
It was back on February 17th at the Sheremetyevo International Airport, when Griner was detained by the Russian Federal Customs Service after the claimed to have found vape cartridges containing marijuana concentrate hashish oil in Griner’s luggage. To that end Griner was subsequently charged with “large-scale transportation of drugs.” Griner has since spent some 130 days in detention and will have her next date in court on July 14th, after seeing her trial commence on July 1st. Though she initially declined to enter a plea, it was widely expected and advised that she plead guilty which she has now done.
“Traditionally, the best defense is to admit your guilt and hope you get a lesser sentence,” William Pomeranz, acting director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute in Washington and an expert on Russian law, said earlier this month. “There’s not a lot of examples of people raising strong defenses and getting acquitted.”
Brittney Griner speaks and President Biden responds
President Joe Biden would have had quite a lot on his plate on July 4th - Independence Day - after a mass shooting, but he still found time to respond to a handwritten note from Griner which read in part as follows: “As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever.”
According to reports, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris later had a conversation with Griner’s wife, Cherelle. “The President called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible,” the administration said in a statement. “The President offered his support to Cherelle and Brittney’s family, and he committed to ensuring they are provided with all possible assistance while his administration pursues every avenue to bring Brittney home.”
What will happen to Brittney Griner now?
As daunting as the charges against her may seem, this is actually a good move for Griner. With her admission of guilt Griner has actually moved a step closer to a much more favorable outcome. It should be understood that given the nature of the charges, her nationality in the context of the current hostility in Russian/American dialogue and last but not least, the nature of the Russian legal system, there was next to no chance that she would have been acquitted according to reports. Had Griner tried to defend herself, it’s quite likely she would have been subjected to severe retribution from Russian authorities while remaining detained.
In terms of what happens now, it’s quite likely that her admission of guilt will be used as a stepping stone towards a possible exchange of prisoners. It is understood that Russian authorities have indicated an interest in seeing the return of Viktor Bout, a convicted arms dealer who is currently serving a 25-year sentence in the United States. The catch, however, is the glaringly obvious disparity between the offenses of committed by either individual. Said disparity will likely prove a stumbling block in terms of the White House being able to green light such a move. It should also be note that there is at present no definitive word as to when such an exchange would occur or even if it’s at all possible. “Attempts by the American side to make noise in public… don’t help the practical settlement of issues,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday. “There are no formal or procedural reasons to talk about any further steps” until Griner’s trial is over, Ryabkov added. For the moment, Griner, her family and friends as well as the American government and wider public, can only sit and wait.