U.S. Basketball Star Brittney Griner Sentenced To 9 Years In Jail In Russia
04.08.2022 - 19:05
/ deadline.com
Brittney Griner, the two-time U.S. Olympic gold medal basketball player and WNBA star, was found guilty Thursday in Russia of drug smuggling and possession and sentenced to nine years in jail. The news comes six months after Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport while entering the country with cannabis oil in her luggage.
Her lawyers said they plan to appeal the ruling.
“We are very disappointed by the verdict,” said Griner’s attorneys Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov. “As legal professionals, we believe that the court should be fair to everyone regardless of nationality. The court completely ignored all the evidence of the defense, and most importantly, the guilty plea. This contradicts the existing legal practice. Taking into account the amount of the substance (not to mention the defects of the expertise) and the plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable. We will certainly file an appeal.”
The high-profile case has reached the steps of both the U.S. State Department and the Kremlin, with the U.S. urging the release of Griner who has been in custody since her arrest in February. There have even been discussions between the countries about a prisoner swap that would also include Paul Whelan, an American accused of spying who has been in Russian custody since 2018.
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” President Joe Biden said in a statement after the sentencing was announced. “It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible
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