{"id":1396608,"date":"2022-03-23T14:29:40","date_gmt":"2022-03-23T18:29:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1396608"},"modified":"2022-03-23T14:29:48","modified_gmt":"2022-03-23T18:29:48","slug":"u-s-embassy-finally-granted-access-to-brittney-griner-in-russia-in-good-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-embassy-finally-granted-access-to-brittney-griner-in-russia-in-good-condition\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Embassy Finally Granted Access To Brittney Griner In Russia, In \u2018Good Condition\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fu-s-embassy-finally-granted-access-to-brittney-griner-in-russia-in-good-condition%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1396608&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/dw-wp-production.imgix.net\/2022\/03\/GettyImages-1345615240.jpg?w=1200&#038;h=800&#038;ixlib=react-9.3.0\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span>WNBA star Brittney Griner has been in Russian custody since February, after Russian Federal Customs Service officials searched her luggage at an airport near Moscow, saying they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The details around Griner\u2019s detainment have been difficult to come by, especially as no one from the U.S. consulate in Russia has been able to visit Griner, who is being held by Russian authorities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That changed Wednesday, as U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN that an official from the U.S. embassy was \u201cgranted consular access to Brittney Griner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cWithin the past couple hours, an official from our embassy has been granted consular access to Brittney Griner,\u201d Price said on CNN. \u201cWe were able to check on her condition. We will continue to work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network to see to it that she is treated fairly. That is a message that we will continue to convey in no uncertain terms to the Russian Federation.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Price was able to provide an update on her condition, saying that Griner was in \u201cgood condition.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThere\u2019s only so much I can say, but what I can say is that our official found Brittney Griner to be in good condition,\u201d Price said. \u201cAnd we will continue to do everything we can to see to it that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price tells <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CNN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@CNN<\/a> that U.S. Embassy officials in Russia were finally granted consular access to Brittney Griner \u201cwithin the last couple hours.\u201d The WNBA star was in \u201cgood condition,\u201d he said.  <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sCgNEr6yvO\">pic.twitter.com\/sCgNEr6yvO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Chris Bumbaca (@BOOMbaca) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BOOMbaca\/status\/1506627644066045954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 23, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span>Last week, Griner\u2019s detention in Russia was extended until May 19, as reported by TASS, a Russian state news agency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThe court granted the petition of the investigation and extended the term of U.S. citizen Griner\u2019s detention until May 19,\u201d TASS quoted the Russian court as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/lifestyle\/sports\/us-wnba-all-star-griners-detention-russia-extended-tass-2022-03-17\/\"><span>saying<\/span><\/a><span>, according to Reuters.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Per reports, Griner is facing up to 10 years in prison for the crime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The timing of her arrest coincides with Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, with the U.S. and many Western countries putting heavy sanctions against Russia.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Days after the news, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration stands \u201cready to provide every possible assistance\u201d to Americans detained in Russia, without mentioning Griner specifically.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cThere\u2019s only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point,\u201d Blinken <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2022\/03\/07\/1084870347\/blinken-says-u-s-working-to-release-americans-detained-in-russia\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> Sunday. \u201cWhenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we, of course, stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIn times like these, it\u2019s important that we maintain our diplomatic contacts, that we maintain the diplomatic support, particularly support that we can provide to Americans who may need it,\u201d he continued.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Evelyn Farkas, former U.S. deputy assistant secretary of defense for Russia and Ukraine, told <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/former-pentagon-official-russia-could-use-brittney-griner-as-high-profile-hostage-010121886.html\"><span>Yahoo Sports<\/span><\/a><span> that Russia could use Griner as a form of blackmail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>\u201cIf we want her out of jail, Russia is going to have some terms,\u201d <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/former-pentagon-official-russia-could-use-brittney-griner-as-high-profile-hostage-010121886.html\"><span>said<\/span><\/a><span> Farkas. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Griner, who plays for the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, also plays for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, as the Russian league often provides large salaries. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.<\/i><\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest growing conservative media companies for breaking news, investigative reporting, sports, podcasts, in-depth analysis, books, and entertainment for a reason: because we believe in what we do. We believe in our country, in the value of truth and the freedom to speak it, and in the right to challenge tyranny wherever we see it. Believe the same? <a class=\"in-cell-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Become a member now and join our mission.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>WNBA star Brittney Griner has been in Russian custody since February, after Russian Federal Customs Service officials searched her luggage at an airport near Moscow, saying they found vape cartridges<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1396608","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1396608","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1396608"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1396608\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1396608"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1396608"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1396608"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}