It has been over four months since WNBA star Brittney Griner was initially detained in Russia for allegedly being found with vape cartridges containing a hashish oil, a marijuana concentrate which carries a significant penalty within the country.
Russia recently decided that her criminal trial would begin on Friday, and could face up to ten years in prison if she is found guilty.
Her outlook looks pretty bleak, as Russia reportedly has a 99 percent conviction rate for criminal cases according to a report from the Associated Press earlier this week.
It is obviously an extremely scary situation for Griner and her loved ones who aren’t sure when she will return to the United States, and Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner shared exactly how her significant other is currently feeling.
Cherelle discussed Brittney’s situation on Rev. Al Sharpton’s SiriusXM show “Keepin’ It Real”, where she said that Griner is “terrified” in Russia right now.
“BG is struggling. She’s a human. She’s struggling,” Cherelle said. “She’s there, terrified. She’s there alone. I mean, even in America, if she was going through a legal proceeding, she wouldn’t be doing it alone, you know?”
Expectations for the trial aren’t exactly high for Cherelle, and she says that no justice will be found without some involvement from the U.S government to bring her home.
“Everything about this is just your biggest nightmare. On top of the fact that BG is in a situation where this isn’t even a trial. Honestly, considering an execution, Russia has a 99 percent conviction rate. Nothing about this is justice.”
There was initially hope that Griner would be released from Russia but it is clear that they proceed to going on with this criminal case against her, pushing back her detention date for six more months, which is the duration of her trial.
Griner’s supporters have pushed for the Biden administration to get involved and come up with a deal to bring Griner home, but that will only get more difficult if Russia comes back with a guilty verdict against her.