Watch the one-on-one interview Wednesday at 9 p.m. on 20/20, on ABC15
PHOENIX — WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was released from Russian detention in a prisoner swap in December 2022, opened up for the first time about her harrowing experience in a Russian prison in an exclusive interview that will air May 1 on a special edition of “20/20." “Good Morning America” will have a first look earlier that day.
“You know there are those who say, ‘Come on. How did you not know that you had cartridges in your in your luggage?’” Roberts asked. Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges on July 7, 2022, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage unintentionally. She testified that she had"no intention" of breaking Russian law and packed the cartridges by accident.
The Houston native said that when she realized that the cartridges were in her bag, she thought of her family. The U.S. State Department classified Griner’s case as"wrongfully detained" in May 2022 and the Biden administration worked for months to secure her freedom. During Griner’s detention, top athletes in the WNBA and NBA brought attention to her case on and off the court, putting pressure on the Biden White House to secure her release.
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