Sens. John Cornyn, Ted Cruz say Brittney Griner is ‘wrongfully detained,’ name for her launch
Texas U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz are supporting a decision saying Brittney Griner was “wrongfully detained” in Russia on prices of transporting medication and calling for her speedy launch.
The decision was written to match the same one which already handed the Home; it was sponsored by Cornyn and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden from Oregon.
The decision calls on the Russian authorities to right away free Griner, expresses help for the Griner household and requires the U.S. authorities to press for Griner’s launch at each flip, in addition to that of Paul Whelan and “all prisoners unjustly imprisoned within the Russian Federation.” Whelan, a former Marine, is detained in Russia on accusations of espionage.
Griner is accused of carrying vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil when she flew into Russia, the place she performs skilled basketball through the WNBA offseason. The decision notes that Griner is from Houston, is a famous person basketball participant, leads charitable efforts in her neighborhood, has twice represented her nation within the Olympics and gained gold medals and “is a famend chief within the LGBTQ+ neighborhood.”
She faces a most sentence of 10 years in jail. Earlier this month, she acknowledged her guilt of the costs and mentioned that she packed the cannabis oil by accident and it was not her intent to interrupt the legislation.
Her legal professionals in Russian court docket final week produced a letter from Griner’s physician prescribing her use of marijuana to deal with persistent ache, information shops reported, displaying that she was given permission in Arizona — the place she lives — to make use of the drug.
A number of of her teammates on the Russian skilled girls’s basketball workforce she performs for throughout offseasons testified to Griner’s good ethical character, in help of leniency in her sentencing.
The quickest route dwelling for Griner could be by way of a prisoner change, which may end result from a political negotiation between Washington and Moscow.
ed.mckinley@chron.com
