Brittney Griner was convicted of drug possession and smuggling in Russia

American basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted in Russia on Thursday of drug possession and smuggling and sentenced to nine years behind bars in a politically charged case that could lead to a prisoner swap between Washington and Moscow.

Griner, 31, a two-time U.S. Olympic champion and eight-time All-Star with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, listened blankly as an interpreter translated Judge Anna Sotnikova’s verdict, but her lawyers later said. He was very nervous.” Griner was also fined 1 million rubles (about $16,700).

US President Joe Biden condemned the verdict as “unacceptable” and that it came amid tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine.

“I urge Russia to release him immediately so he can be with his wife, loved ones, friends and teammates,” Biden said, adding that he will continue to work to bring home Griner and Paul Whelan, an American who is being held in Russia. . . Conviction for espionage.

Outside the courthouse, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth Rudd called the result a “miscarriage of justice”.

Griner, considered one of the greatest players in WNBA history, has been in custody since February 17 after police said cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage upon landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport. He was returning to Russia, where he has competed since 2014.

As he was led out of the courtroom, Griner said, “I love my family.”

The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years Griner could face on the charges. Most Russians who possess small amounts of drugs face a maximum of five years in prison, lawyers say.

Lawyer Maria Blagovolina later told reporters that Griner was “very upset, very tense. He barely speaks. It’s a difficult time for him.”

Before the unusually quick sentence, an emotional Griner apologized to her family, teammates and the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where she plays in the WNBA offseason, “for the mistake I made and the inconvenience I caused them.”

In a broken voice, he added, “I hope that under your rule this doesn’t end my life.”

Griner has 10 days to appeal and his lawyers say they expect a hearing at the Moscow Regional Court next week. Asked if Griner could ask President Vladimir Putin for leniency, Blagovolina said she was considering all options, but lawyers said they were not involved in any discussion of a prisoner exchange.

Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Kolas, said the sentence was “harsh by Russian legal standards and intended to prove what we knew to be that Britney was being used as a political pawn.” He added that he supports Biden’s efforts to “reach a deal”.

A conviction is usually required before a prisoner exchange can be arranged, and it also allows Griner to seek leniency. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month that “necessary court proceedings” must be completed before further steps are taken.

The July revelation that the US government was seeking a prisoner exchange involving Griner reflected mounting pressure on the Biden administration to do more to bring him back. The US State Department previously claimed that Griner had been “wrongfully detained”, an allegation Russia has vehemently denied.

When he testified on July 7, Griner said: “I want to plead guilty to the charges against me. But I wasn’t going to break any Russian laws.” He added that he brought the vape bottles to Russia because he needed to pack for the flight.

Griner also described a confusing scene at the airport, saying that an interpreter provided by the authorities only translated a small part of what he was told and that the authorities told him to sign documents without explaining what it was. He also stated that he was not informed about his rights.

His lawyers presented evidence that Griner used medical cannabis for chronic pain and injuries sustained during his career and included a medical letter. Griner testified that she knew hemp oil was banned in Russia and that she had no intention of breaking the law or “planning to smuggle anything into Russia”.

Griner’s case and his nearly six months behind bars provoked strong criticism among his supporters in the United States, including his wife Cheryl, that Biden was not doing enough to win his freedom.
Greener sent a personal appeal to Biden, and more than 1,100 black leaders urged the government to “arrange for Britney to return home quickly and safely and be reunited immediately with Britney’s wife, Cheryl.” Biden then called Cheryl Griner “to assure her that he is working to get Britney released as quickly as possible,” the White House said July 6.

Cheryl Greener, who also spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris, later said she was “grateful for their time with me and their commitment to bringing BG home,” using her husband’s initials.

On July 27, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced that Washington had offered Russia a deal aimed at bringing Griner and Whelan home in a radical departure from previous policy. Details of the offer were not released, but a person familiar with the matter said the United States had offered to trade Russian arms dealer Victor Buti for Whelan and Griner. The person insisted on anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation.

Russian media has repeatedly said Griner could be traded for Bout, dubbed the “death trader”, who is serving a 25-year sentence in the United States after being convicted of conspiring to kill American citizens and aiding and abetting an organization. terrorist. Russia has been protesting Bout’s release for years.

The harshness of Griner’s sentence could give Russia leverage in the deal, increasing pressure on Washington to negotiate his release.

“I think the longer the sentence, the more pressure there will be on the Biden administration to reach a deal, and obviously they like to use that pressure,” said Tom Firestone, an attorney who previously served as legal counsel in the US. United States Embassy. in Moscow, he said before sentencing the Russians.

Even with relations between the United States and Russia on the wane, the two countries managed to swap Trevor Reed, a former US Marine detained in Russia in April, for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot and drug dealer who turns 20. . Proposal in Connecticut.

Griner’s arrest came only after Russian troops entered Ukraine, when relations between Russia and the United States reached new heights after Washington led the West in imposing sanctions against Moscow.

His plight, including high-profile athletes, was highlighted by his supporters at home, especially after little information emerged about the first few weeks of his detention in Russia, where he had limited access to American diplomats. It was not until May that the State Department declared him illegally detained and referred the case to the president’s special representative for hostage affairs, effectively the administration’s top negotiator.

At the ESPY Awards last month, football star Megan Rapinoe referred to Griner as a “political prisoner,” while tennis great Billie Jean King said, “First, bring BG home. You have to.”

NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry wore a Greener jersey under his sneakers at the awards show and urged “the entire global sports community to stand strong in his name…”

Griner, a 6-foot-1 center, has 12 kills in 15 regular season games in WNBA history and set a one-year block record with 129 in 2014. She led the league in two goals. He was a two-time Associated Press College Player of the Year and led Baylor to a 40–0 season and the 2012 NCAA title. He was Phoenix’s number one pick in the 2013 draft.

WNBA and NBA commissioners called the verdict “unwarranted and unfortunate, but not unexpected. … We hope to be near the end of that process, finally, to bring BG home.”