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It's the first time a U.S. official has been able to meet with the basketball star since her arrest at a Moscow airport in February.
A U.S. embassy official in Moscow said that they had found lesbian WNBA star Brittney Griner to be "in good condition" after the embassy was granted consular access to Griner, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
In an interview with CNN on Wednesday, Price said the embassy official was granted access to Griner on Tuesday. It's the first time official government access has been given to Griner since being detained by Russian authorities in February.
"We were able to check on her condition, we will continue to work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network, to see to it that she is treated fairly," Price told CNN.
"Our official found Brittney Griner to be in good condition and we will continue to do everything we can to see to it that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal," he said.
\u201cU.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price tells @CNN that U.S. Embassy officials in Russia were finally granted consular access to Brittney Griner \u201cwithin the last couple hours.\u201d The WNBA star was in \u201cgood condition,\u201d he said. \u201d— Chris Bumbaca (@Chris Bumbaca) 1648042996
Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and plays for the WBNA's Phoenix Mercury. She was arrested in February at a Moscow airport. Russian authorities have accused Griner of smuggling a narcotic substance. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.
Last week, a Russian court ordered an extension of Griner's arrest until May 19, Russian state media reported. A trial date has not been announced.
The WNBA star has had access to her legal team while detained, according to CNN.
US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan met with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday. He "demanded that the government of Russia follow international law and basic human decency to allow consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia, including those in pre-trial detention."
Griner isn't the only U.S. citizen detained in Russia. The U.S. government has said that Russia has denied access to U.S. citizens for months.
