What's next for Brittney Griner amid Russian penal colony transfer?

Brittney Griner
(Image credit: EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

As her family feared, Brittney Griner is being moved to a Russian penal colony after her nine-year drug conviction was upheld by a court last month.

The WNBA star's lawyers confirmed to CNN that she is "now on her way" to a penal colony in Russia, though they don't know where she is right now or where she's going. "Notification is given via official mail and normally takes up to two weeks to be received," they said. Griner was arrested in Feb. 2022 for having cannabis oil cartridges in her luggage, and a Russian court sentenced to her nine years in prison following what Secretary of State Antony Blinken described as a "sham trial."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.