On Thursday, a Russian court sentenced Brittney Griner to a nine-year-long sentence on drug smuggling charges. Here’s more on the ruling.
Griner gets a 9-year sentence for drug smuggling
A Russian court sentenced the US basketball star to nine years of prison time on drug smuggling charges. They “found the defendant guilty” of possessing and smuggling “a significant amount of narcotics”, stated Anna Sotnikova. Sotnikova is a judge in the town of Khimki, outside Moscow. She sentenced Brittney Griner to nine years in prison. Additionally, Griner will have to pay a fine of one million rubles, equaling $16,590.
Soon after, US President Joe Biden released a statement calling the ruling “unacceptable”. “Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates,” stated Biden. Additionally, he added that he will “work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue” and repatriate her. The trial accelerated recently as Russia and the US were discussing a potential prisoner swap.
More on the current events
The basketball star was first detained at an airport in Moscow in February 2022 after authorities found her guilty of carrying vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. The arrest came before Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine. However, the trial began as tensions between the two nations were soaring high. Prosecutors requested the Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion to be sentenced to nine and a half years.
“I made an honest mistake and I hope that your ruling doesn’t end my life here. I want the court to understand it was an honest mistake that I made while rushing, under stress, trying to recover from post-Covid, and just trying to get back to my team,” stated Griner. The defense team revealed they were “very disappointed” by the verdict. “The court completely ignored all the evidence of the defense. And most importantly, the guilty plea,” stayed Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, her lawyers. “The verdict is unreasonable. We will certainly file an appeal,” they added.