KHIMKI, RUSSIA: A Russian courtroom docket on Thursday sentenced US basketball supermegacelebrity Brittney Griner to 9 years in jail over drug smuggling as US President Joe Biden referred to as the ruling “unacceptable”.
The courtroom docket “located the defendant responsible” of smuggling and possessing “a substantial quantity of narcotics”, decide Anna Sotnikova instructed a courtroom docket withinside the city of Khimki simply outdoor Moscow.
Sotnikova sentenced Griner, 31, to 9 years in jail and stated she might additionally should pay a first-class of a million rubles ($16,590).
US President Joe Biden right now launched a statement, calling the Russian courtroom docket’s sentencing of Griner “unacceptable.”
“Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable and I name on Russia to launch her right now so she may be together along with her wife, cherished ones, buddies and teammates,” Biden stated withinside the statement.
The US president reiterated that he might “paintings tirelessly and pursue each viable avenue” to repatriate Griner.
Griner’s trial increased in current days because the United States and Russia speak a ability prisoner switch that might contain the basketball supermegacelebrity.
The six-foot-9 (2.06 metres) supermegacelebrity changed into detained at a Moscow airport in February after she changed into located wearing vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage. The arrest got here simply days earlier than Moscow released its army intervention in Ukraine.
Prosecutors had in advance asked the two-time Olympic basketball gold medallist and Women’s NBA champion be sentenced to 9 and a 1/2 of years in jail on drug smuggling charges.
Griner’s trial got here with tensions hovering among Moscow and Washington over Russia’s army intervention in Ukraine that has sparked global condemnation and a litany of Western sanctions.
“I made an sincere mistake and I wish that your ruling does not quit my existence here,” Griner stated in advance Thursday.
“I need the courtroom docket to recognize it changed into an sincere mistake that I made at the same time as rushing, beneathneath stress, looking to get over post-Covid and simply looking to get again to my group.”
Griner pleaded responsible to the charges, however stated she did now no longer intend to interrupt the regulation or use the banned substance in Russia.
Her defence group stated they were “very disappointed” with the aid of using the decision and might appeal.
“The courtroom docket absolutely left out all of the proof of the defence, and maximum importantly, the responsible plea,” legal professionals Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov stated in a statement.
“The verdict is really unreasonable. We will sincerely record an appeal.”
Prosecutor Nikolay Vlasenko had asked a jail sentence of 9 years and 6 months for Griner, inquiring for a time period simply quick of the most punishment of 10 years.
Vlasenko stated Griner “deliberately” proceeded thru the inexperienced hall at customs and said she had not anything to declare “for you to conceal” the substance.
Earlier withinside the day Griner walked into the court docket in handcuffs, escorted with the aid of using numerous regulation enforcement officials and a police dog.
Standing interior a cage for defendants earlier than the begin of the hearing, she held up a image of herself with teammates from the Russian membership she performs for.
Griner changed into detained while she got here to Russia to play membership basketball with UMMC Ekaterinburg in the course of americaA off-season — a not unusualplace route for American stars in search of extra income.
In preceding hearings, Griner stated she changed into frequently examined with the aid of using US, Russian and European leagues.
The WNBA supermegacelebrity stated she had permission from a US health practitioner to apply medicinal hashish to alleviate ache from her many injuries — “from backbone to cartilages”.
Her case has raised hypothesis approximately a ability prisoner switch among Moscow and Washington.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated remaining week that Washington had made a “great proposal” to Moscow to loose Griner and previous US Marine Paul Whelan, who changed into imprisoned on espionage charges.
A prisoner switch changed into additionally mentioned in the course of a name among Blinken and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Friday.
The highest-profile Russian prisoner withinside the United States is Victor Bout, a 55-year-antique fingers trafficker, dubbed the “Merchant of Death”, who’s serving 25 years in jail.
There isn’t anyt any legit affirmation that Washington has provided to change him.
Russia and the USA have already performed one prisoner switch because the begin of Moscow’s Ukraine offensive.
In April, Washington exchanged former US Marine Trevor Reed for convicted drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshenko.
