U.S. embassy officials visit jailed WNBA star Griner in first access for months
The HinduOfficials from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow met with Brittney Griner on Thursday, officials said, in the first visit in months for the WNBA star who is jailed in Russia and could soon be transferred to a penal colony. The visit was the first consular access to Griner since early August, when the two-time Olympic gold medalist was found guilty of narcotics possession and smuggling for bringing cannabis-infused vape cartridges into Russia. Washington and Moscow have discussed swapping Griner and fellow detainee Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine, for a Russian arms dealer jailed in the United States, but no deal has materialized amid heightened tensions over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Twitter that the embassy officials who visited Griner on Thursday "saw firsthand her tenacity and perseverance despite her present circumstances."