Midterm Elections Fallout Brings Very Good News for Brittney Griner

It seems there’s finally some good news for Brittney Griner and her supporters. As the midterm elections are finally over, there’s hope for a positive development in Griner’s case. US officials have been working on bringing the WNBA star back home for months. However, the Russian government has mostly remained quiet so far. After their prisoner exchange offer went unanswered, US officials speculated that Russia will probably stay unresponsive to any such negotiation attempts until the midterm elections were over.

The US midterm elections were held on November 8, 2022. Following the elections, President Joe Biden said at a news conference that he is hoping to be able to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The US government had earlier offered to transfer convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, another US citizen currently incarcerated in Russia. However, their attempts to negotiate seemed to fall through when a Russian court went ahead with Griner’s nine-year sentencing after her appeal was recently denied.

READ MORE -??80 Women in 1 Room with 3 Toilets?: Astonishing Brittney Griner Update Might Hurt Her Supporters

“My hope is that now that the election is over, that Mr. Putin will be able to discuss with us and be willing to talk more seriously about a prisoner exchange,” said Biden.

Russian authorities transfer Brittney Griner to a different location

The Phoenix Mercury superstar was sentenced to nine years in prison in August 2022. Brittney Griner’s lawyers had called the verdict unreasonable and stated that they would file an appeal. The appeal hearing took place on October 25, which Griner attended through video conference. However, despite her lawyer’s efforts, the court rejected the appeal. On November 9, CNN reported that Griner was being moved to a penal colony where she will be serving her sentence.

“We do not have any information on her exact current location or her final destination,” said Griner’s attorneys.

While the location has not been disclosed so far, Griner’s lawyers said that as per procedure, her attorneys and the US embassy will be informed after Griner reaches her destination. The WNBA champion was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for carrying cannabis oil in her luggage. After she was detained, Griner pleaded guilty to the charges.

WATCH THIS STORY:?Did WNBA star Brittney Griner date 7-ft Lakers center, Anthony Davis??

However, she stated that she did not do it intentionally. After a Russian court announced its verdict on the Griner case, the POTUS released a statement of his own. Biden said that the prison sentence was “unacceptable” and demanded Griner’s release.

Do you think Russia will be open to negotiations following the US midterm elections as stated above? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.