The embassy official was given consular access to Griner on Tuesday, according to Price, the first official government grant given to Griner since she had been detained by Russia since mid-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 ensure she is treated fairly,” Price told CNN’s Poppy Harlow.
“Our official found that Brittney Griner was in good condition and we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that she is treated fairly throughout this ordeal,” he added.
Griner, a double Olympic gold medalist and player for the WBNA’s Phoenix Mercury, was arrested in February at a Moscow airport and charged by Russian authorities with smuggling significant amounts of a drug. – an offense punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment.
Earlier this week, US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan met with the Russian Foreign Ministry on Monday and “demanded that the Russian government follow international law and basic human decency to provide consular access to all detained US citizens in Russia, including those in the past”. – custody. “
The Russian state agency TASS reported that the US consul has not visited Griner, despite the willingness of Russian authorities to “create all conditions” for a visit.
But the U.S. embassy in Moscow said it had “repeatedly asked” for consular access to Griner and other U.S. citizens, “and has been consistently and unjustifiably denied access for several months.” U.S. citizens Paul Whelan and Trevor Reed are also being held in Russia.