- A Russian court has sentenced US basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for illegal drug possession.
- The athlete is said to have had vape cartridges and a small amount of hash oil with her when her luggage was checked at Sheremetyevo Airport in February.
- US President Joe Biden said in a first reaction that the verdict was unacceptable. He demanded her immediate release. Griner’s lawyers have announced an appeal.
Griner had again pleaded guilty before the verdict. “I made a mistake and I hope your judgment doesn’t end my life here,” Griner pleaded. But the court showed no mercy. Prosecutors and defense have the right to appeal. However, the chances of the American team of lawyers being able to bring about a noticeable reduction are likely to be poor.
“I call on the court to find Griner guilty and to sentence her to nine years and six months in prison,” prosecutor Nikolai Vlasenko had demanded, along with a fine of the equivalent of 16,000 euros, which was also imposed. The maximum penalty for a crime like Griner committed is ten years in prison in Russia. The court exhausted its possibilities almost completely. The 31-year-old has been in custody in Russia for five and a half months. She had previously pleaded guilty.
Biden demands Griner’s release
US President Joe Biden criticized the verdict and called for Griner’s release. Russia is wrongly holding Brittney,” Biden said in a written statement Thursday. “This is unacceptable and I call on Russia to release her immediately so that she can be with her wife, family, friends and teammates.” Biden said the US government is continuing to work tirelessly to bring Griner home safely as soon as possible.
The process has long had a political component: Washington accuses Moscow of a politically motivated process. The US government has been trying to get Griner released for months. A phone call between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov at the end of July also discussed the possibility of a prisoner exchange.
Since 2015, Griner has played for the UMMC Yekaterinburg team in the Urals. She won the Euroleague four times with the top club. Griner is considered one of the best basketball players in the American women’s professional league WNBA. With the Phoenix Mercury she won the championship in 2014, with the US national team she won two gold medals at the world championships in addition to two Olympic victories. Many professional players like Griner are not only active in their home leagues, but also abroad, including in Russia so far.