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LAST UPDATE | 18 Mar 2022
THE DETENTION OF US basketball star Brittney Griner has been extended until 19 May, Russian state media reported.
The development could see the two-time Olympic champion being held for at least three months before her case is resolved.
Griner was detained at a Moscow airport, reportedly in mid-February, after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges allegedly containing oil derived from cannabis, which could carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The case of the 31-year-old, one of the most recognisable players in women’s basketball, comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the US citizen Griner until 19 May,” the court said, according to the state news agency Tass.
The US State Department has been “doing everything we can to support Brittney Griner, to support her family, and to work with them to do everything we can to see that she is treated appropriately and to seek her release,” spokesman Ned Price said at a briefing.
He cited privacy considerations in not giving out more details.
Ekaterina Kalugina of the regional Public Monitoring Commission, a state-backed panel in Russia that monitors prisoners’ conditions, told Tass that Griner was sharing a cell with two other female detainees accused of narcotics offenses.
Griner’s cellmates spoke English and were helping her to communicate with staff at the pre-trial detention facility and to obtain books, Ms Kalugina said.
“The only objective problem has turned out to be the basketball player’s height,” Tass quoted Ms Kalugina as saying of the 6f 9in star. “The beds in the cell are clearly intended for a person of lesser height.”
Griner has won two Olympic gold medals with the US, a WNBA championship with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship at Baylor.
She was one of a dozen WNBA players who played in Russia or Ukraine this past season. All except Griner have left since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Griner has played in Russia for the last seven years in the winter, earning over 1 million dollars per season — more than quadruple her WNBA salary.
She last played for her Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg on 29 January before the league took a two-week break in early February for the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournaments. She was arrested in Moscow on returning to Russia.
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39 hour contracts and €20 per hour might resolve the issue. Proper pay and conditions for all workers
@Thomas O’Connor: don’t worry the bosses will still get their huge pay and expenses etc.
So many instructions. Come early for your flight, don’t come too early for your flights. What an absolute mess!!!
@Thomas Meaney: That’s just 2 instructions?
@Thomas Meaney: you’re right, so many instructions but they haven’t got a clue what they’re doing. we were flying out last Friday at 6am. Got to the airport at 2.30am as instructed – 3.5 hours before departure time. Aer Lingus bag drop didn’t open until 3am,security didn’t open until 4am – not a member of staff to be seen or an announcement been made. Shambles.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: good man. Straight to the top of the class and collect a gold star.
And don’t forget to try get parking, completely sold out. Some car parks(including staff ones) still not open since covid. Covid test centre getting priority still. Well done DAA. You’ve been caught with you pants down, trying to be smart and pay off staff and employ new ones on cheap contracts. And a new runway with further capacity, place will be in a right heap.
@Peter O Donnell: They do hold about 20% back for those who turn up, only downside is it’s 12 euro per day. Happened to me back in October, Red car park full so ended up paying the 12 euro for a 6 week trip.
@Dermot Walsh: what car park was 12euro per day?
@Dermot Walsh: €12 per day, sounds quite cheap. I paid €90 for last weekend, that was in the short term.
@Elaine Fagan: fair play to you for coming on here and admitting that you’re a complete numpty.
@Pat Kelly: ???
@Pat Kelly: Smart Numpty, that’s me, you’re right. What I pay for parking is cheaper than public transport and or taxis to and from the airport.
@Elaine Fagan: And it would be cheaper still if you parked in the long term car park. €90 for parking over the weekend would suggest that either
(A) you’re not short of dosh or
(B) you just don’t get it.
Short termism yet again. You’d think they’d have anticipated this when they laid off all those staff originally. Now the customer is penalised because DAA couldn’t get their act together.
Arrive at least 3.5 hours before your flight, unless your flight is before 8am. Then arrive not too early, but early enough…
They’ve ruined what used to be a fantastic service and great place to work. Ceo Dalton Philips has to go!
Does anyone know if Dublin Express coach service to Dublin Airport picks up passengers at Heuston Station? Their website says they do, but there’s no sign outside the station (where the other buses stop) for them.
The Husband travelled on Sunday and said security was fine, no queues. But when he got through security, there was no food in the pub or restaurants because so many people had arrived so long before their flight! There wasn’t even sandwiches in the US area. They told people to come early and now its causing a whole different problem.
Sounds like a wheel of fortune too early one day,too late the next.
They have been advertising on Facebook for weeks now looking for security staff, they disabled the comments section because of the abuse they were getting!
Daa management need to go. This is disgraceful. No respect for travellers. In a normal airport 1 hrs with only hand baggage should be enough. Management are clearly unprofessional. The government should take issue and hire people who have professionally managed efficient airports such as Singapore Zurich, Abuja
Think: ‘Goldy Locke’s Porraige’ but with a passport. Apologies for incorrect spelling of Porraige’
Arrived at 540am this morning , 5 minutes through security, Terminal 1, all very efficient
@Clive Bellows: They’re talking about Easter, Clive. That’s the weekend, not today.
Come early mantra always suited them before. Nothing to do with the added benefit of funneling people through a shopping centre with extra time on there hands…
have your say