Brittney Griner trial: WNBA star convicted, sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison

U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and sentenced to 9 years in jail following a politically charged trial that got here amid hovering tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine and will result in a high-stakes prisoner alternate between the 2 world powers.

The 31-year-old Griner, a two-time U.S. Olympic champion and a eight-time all-star with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury listened with a clean expression as an interpreter translated the decision by Choose Anna Sotnikova. The choose additionally fined 1 million rubles (about $16,000) advantageous.

“I by no means meant to harm anyone to place in jeopardy the Russian inhabitants or violate any Russian legal guidelines. I made an trustworthy mistake and I hope that your ruling, that it would not finish my life right here,” Griner advised the courtroom earlier Thursday, apologizing to her household, her teammates, her followers, and the Russian individuals.

“I do know all people retains speaking about political pawn and politics, however I hope that that’s removed from this courtroom… I hope you bear in mind all of the paperwork, all of the character lists that everyone has despatched in on my behalf… That is my second house, and all I needed to do was simply win championships and make them proud,” she mentioned.

U.S. President Joe Biden denounced the decision and sentence as “unacceptable.”

“I name on Russia to launch her instantly so she might be along with her spouse, family members, mates, and teammates,” Biden mentioned, including that he would proceed to work to deliver house Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction.

As Griner was taken from the courtroom after the decision, she advised reporters: “I like my household.” Her legal professionals mentioned she was very upset, burdened, and will hardly discuss.

Earlier within the session, with a conviction all however sure, an emotional Griner made a closing attraction to the courtroom for leniency. She mentioned she had no intention to interrupt the regulation by bringing vape cartridges with hashish oil when she flew to Moscow in February to play basketball within the metropolis of Yekaterinburg.

“I need to apologize to my teammates, my membership, my followers and town of (Yekaterinburg) for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I introduced on them,” Griner mentioned, her voice cracking. “I need to additionally apologize to my mother and father, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury group again at house, the wonderful ladies of the WNBA, and my wonderful partner again at house.”

Below Russian regulation, the 31-year-old Griner faces as much as 10 years in jail, however judges have appreciable latitude on sentencing.

If she doesn’t go free, consideration will flip to the risk of a high-stakes prisoner swap that was proposed final week by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to his Russian counterpart.

Griner mentioned Yekaterinburg, a metropolis east of the Ural Mountains, had turn out to be her “second house.”

“I had no concept that the staff, the cities, the followers, my teammates would make such a fantastic impression on me over the 6 1/2 years that I spent right here,” she mentioned. “I keep in mind vividly popping out of the gymnasium and all of the little ladies that had been within the stands there ready on me, and that is what stored making me come again right here.”

Prosecutor Nikolai Vlasenko insisted that Griner packed the hashish oil intentionally, and he requested the courtroom at hand Briner a advantageous of 1 million rubles (about $16,700) along with the jail sentence.

Attorneys for the Phoenix Mercury middle and two-time Olympic gold medalist have sought to bolster Griner’s competition that she had no prison intent and that the canisters ended up in her baggage by mistake. They offered character witnesses from the Yekaterinburg staff that she performs for within the WNBA offseason and written testimony from a health care provider who mentioned he prescribed her hashish for ache remedy from accidents sustained in her basketball profession.

Her lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, argued that Griner used the hashish solely in Arizona, the place medical marijuana is authorized.

She emphasised that Griner was packing in haste after a grueling flight and affected by the implications of COVID-19. Blagovolina additionally identified that the evaluation of hashish present in Griner’s possession was flawed and violated authorized procedures.

Blagovolina requested the courtroom to acquit Griner, noting that she had no previous prison report and hailing her position in “the event of Russian basketball.”

One other protection lawyer, Alexander Boykov, emphasised Griner’s position in taking her Yekaterinburg staff to win a number of championships, noting that she was liked and admired by her teammates. He advised the choose {that a} conviction would undermine Russia’s efforts to develop nationwide sports activities and make Moscow’s name to depoliticize sports activities sound shallow.

Boykov added that even after her arrest, Griner gained the sympathy of each her guards and jail inmates, who supported her by shouting, “Brittney, all the pieces can be OK!” when she went on walks on the jail.

Earlier than her trial started in July, the State Division designated her as “wrongfully detained,” transferring her case beneath the supervision of its particular presidential envoy for hostage affairs, successfully the federal government’s chief hostage negotiator.

Then final week, in a unprecedented transfer, Blinken spoke to Russian Overseas Minister Sergey Lavrov, urging him to simply accept a deal beneath which Griner and Whelan would go free.

The Lavrov-Blinken name marked the highest-level identified contact between Washington and Moscow since Russia despatched troops into Ukraine greater than 5 months in the past. The direct outreach over Griner is at odds with U.S. efforts to isolate the Kremlin.

Folks conversant in the proposal say it envisions buying and selling Griner and Whelan for the infamous arms dealer Viktor Bout, who’s serving a jail sentence in the US. It underlines the general public stress that the White Home has confronted to get Griner launched.

White Home Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned Monday that Russia has made a “dangerous religion” response to the U.S. authorities’s supply, a counteroffer that American officers do not regard as critical. She declined to elaborate.

Russian officers have scoffed at U.S. statements concerning the case, saying they present a disrespect for Russian regulation. They remained poker-faced, urging Washington to debate the problem via “quiet diplomacy with out releases of speculative data.”

In a handwritten letter from Griner that was delivered to the White Home final month, the WNBA participant wrote how terrified she is that she could also be imprisoned in Russia “endlessly.” 

Griner’s spouse Cherelle advised “CBS Mornings” that when she learn the letter, she may really feel the worry that Griner was experiencing. 

“She might be the strongest individual that I do know, so she would not say phrases like that flippantly. Which means she really is terrified that she might by no means see us once more. You already know, I share those self same sentiments,” Cherelle mentioned.