U.S. WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner at the Khimki Court, outside Russian capital Moscow in June. Photo: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
The White House denounced WNBA star Brittney Griner's transfer to a penal colony in Russia at a so-far undisclosed location on Wednesday morning.
Details: The transfer process began on Friday, a day after she met with U.S. embassy officials, her attorneys said, per ESPN, which first reported the news.
What they're saying: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in an emailed statement that President Biden had directed his administration "to prevail on her Russian captors to improve her treatment and the conditions she may be forced to endure in a penal colony."
- She said the U.S. Government was "unwavering in its commitment to its work on behalf of Brittney and other Americans detained in Russia" — including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan — who was imprisoned on spying charges in 2020.
- Jean-Pierre added that the U.S. Government had made a "significant offer" to resolve the "unacceptable and wrongful detentions of American citizens" and had followed up with alternative proposals through all available channels "despite a lack of good faith negotiation by the Russians."
Go deeper: What Brittney Griner could face in a Russian penal colony