Brittney Griner found guilty of drug possession, sentenced to 9 years by Russian court
Global News
Russian officials have said a deal has not been reached with the United States, which has been trying to negotiate a prisoner exchange.
A Russian court on Thursday sentenced U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison after finding her guilty of deliberately bringing cannabis-infused vape cartridges into Russia despite them being illegal.
She was also ordered to pay a fine of one million Russian rubles (approximately CA$20,965).
Her sentencing could pave the way for a high-profile prisoner swap between Russia and the United States that would include the 31-year-old athlete and an imprisoned Russian who was once a prolific arms dealers.
Griner earlier pleaded with a Russian judge not to “end her life” with a harsh prison sentence for bringing in vape cartridges containing hashish oil, before breaking down in tears in court.
The Russian prosecutor called for Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and a Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star, to be sentenced to 9-1/2 years in prison if she is found guilty of bringing illegal drugs to Russia.
Griner was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17 with vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty but said she had neither intended to bring a banned substance to Russia nor to hurt anybody.
Following the guilty verdict, U.S. President Joe Biden released a statement.
“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,” it read. “It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.
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