Khimki: A Russian court on Thursday sentenced American basketball star Brittany Griner to nine years in prison after being found guilty of intentionally bringing cannabis-infused vape cartridges into Russia, a decision President Joe Biden called “unacceptable”. Griner was arrested in mid-February, and his case threw the Texan athlete into geopolitical turmoil when President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine on February 24, causing a cold US-Russian relationship. Taken to a new low after the war.
Griner’s sentence could now pave the way for a US-Russia prisoner swap involving a 31-year-old athlete and an imprisoned Russian who was once a prolific arms dealer.
Griner admitted that he had hashish oil but said it was an honest mistake. Before the verdict, she pleaded with a Russian judge to “not end her life” with a harsh prison sentence, before tearing up in court. The court also fined him 1 million rubles ($16,990).
Biden, under pressure to help free Americans in Russia, called on Russia to release Griner immediately and said his administration would continue to work for his release. “Today, US citizen Brittany Griner received a prison sentence, serving as another reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is unfairly detaining Brittany,” Biden said in a statement.
“This is unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release him immediately so that he can be with his wife, loved ones, friends and teammates.”
Griner’s defense attorneys said they would appeal. The defense said the court ignored Griner’s guilty plea as well as all the evidence presented by him when sentencing. He said he was “disappointed” with the decision.
A Russian prosecutor had called for a 9-1/2 year prison sentence for Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star, found guilty of bringing in illegal drugs. Country.
‘Honest mistake’
Griner was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on February 17 and his luggage contained cartridges containing hashish oil. While he admitted his guilt, he said he had neither the intention of bringing the banned substance into Russia nor to hurt anyone.
“I have made an honest mistake and I hope, in your judgment, that this will not end my life,” Griner said in a tearful manner in court on Thursday.
“My parents taught me two important things: One, take ownership of your responsibilities and two, work hard for what you have. So I pleaded guilty to my charges.”
Griner also referred to the international politics surrounding his case.
“I know everyone keeps talking about political pawns and politics, but I hope it’s a far cry from this court,” Griner said. Cannabis is illegal in Russia for both medicinal and recreational purposes.
sports legend
Griner’s defense team asked for his acquittal. His lawyers said on Thursday that if the court considers it necessary to punish him, he should be treated softly, projecting him as a legend of the sport along with Usain Bolt and Michael Schumacher.
“There’s Usain Bolt in sprinting, there’s Usain Bolt in Formula 1 Michael Schumacher, and in women’s basketball there’s Brittany Griner,” lawyer Maria Blagovolina, partner at the Rybalkin Gortsunian Daikin and Partners law firm, told the court.
His other lawyer, Alexander Boikov, said that some of the case files were prepared in violation of the law.
The United States has offered to exchange Russian prisoners for American citizens, including Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan. “I want to say again that I had no intention of breaking any Russian law,” Griner told the court. “I had no intention, I did not plot or plan to commit this crime.”
Geopolitical ‘vanguard’?
A source familiar with the situation said Washington was ready to exchange convicted arms smuggler Victor Bout, whose life helped inspire the 2005 Hollywood film “Lord of War” starring Nicolas Cage.
Russian officials have said no agreement has been reached. They argue that Griner – known as “BG” to basketball fans – violated the laws and should be judged accordingly.
Griner appeared during the hearing in a gray T-shirt and glasses with round rims. Before the defendant sat in the cage, she placed a photograph of a team from UMMC Ekaterinburg, the team for which she played in Russia during the WNBA offseason.
In her testimony last week, Griner expressed surprise how vape cartridges ended up in her luggage as she was on her way back to Russia to join UMMC Ekaterinburg for the playoffs.
“I still don’t quite understand how they ended up in my bag,” said Griner, the first pick overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft. “If I had to guess how they ended up in my bag, I was in early packing.”
Griner was prescribed medical marijuana in the United States to relieve pain from chronic injuries, a treatment method that is common among elite athletes because it has fewer side effects than some painkillers.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)