U.S. consular officials were able to visit with WNBA star Brittney Griner in Russia for the first time Wednesday and reported that she was doing "well."
"A U.S. consular official was able to verify that she is doing as well as can be expected," U.S. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Wednesday. "We'll continue to work closely with her legal team and her broader network."
Griner has been in custody since Feb. 17 on charges that she attempted to smuggle vape cartridges containing hashish oil into Russia. The U.S. State Department had said Russian officials were denying them access to Griner and two American men who are in custody, contrary to international-law requirements.
Griner has been communicating with her family through her Russian attorneys, and a source close to her told ESPN last week that they knew she was "OK."
Price said that it remains to be seen whether Russia will allow further access but that the U.S. expects "consistent, timely access" to Griner and any other Americans being detained in Russia.
Griner is currently in pretrial detainment. A judge recently extended the investigation period to May 19, but experts say it is likely prosecutors will seek and receive another extension. Under Russian law, prosecutors have up to a year -- and 18 months in exceptional cases -- before they are required to bring her to trial.
Two other Americans, Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan, have been in custody for more than two years. State Department officials did not immediately respond to a question about whether members of the U.S. consulate in Moscow had been able to visit them as well.
