A Russian court sentences WNBA star Brittney Griner to 9 years on drug charges: Everything that you wanna know about Brittney Griner

 It has been questioned whether American women's basketball star Brittney Griner is being used as a pawn in Russia's conflict with Ukraine after she was found guilty of knowingly importing drugs into the country and given a nine-year prison sentence on Thursday.

 

The Khimki City Court's Judge Anna Sotnikova handed down the ruling and fined Griner 1 million rubles, or roughly $16,400. She said that the court considered Griner's partial acknowledgment of guilt, regret for the act, state of health, and philanthropic endeavors. She should have received a 9.5-year prison term, according to the prosecution.

In an emotional speech before the verdict, Griner expressed regret to the jury and begged for mercy.

Griner declared, "I never intended to damage anyone, jeopardize the Russian people, or violate any local laws." "I made a sincere error, and I really hope that your decision won't put an end to my existence here. Although I am aware that politics and political pawns are always brought up, I sincerely hope they have no place in this courtroom.

"I want to reiterate that my intention was not to violate any Russian legislation. I didn't mean to. I didn't plan or collaborate to do this crime, she said.

The 31-year-old was caught at a Moscow airport and charged by Russian prosecutors with attempting to smuggle less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage. The verdict was rendered around six months later. The two-time US Olympic basketball gold champion admitted to using drugs last month and claimed that while rushing, she unintentionally packed the medications.

The ruling will be appealed, according to Griner's attorneys Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, who also blasted the court for dismissing their evidence. Ten days are given for an appeal.

"We are very disappointed by the verdict. As legal professionals, we believe that the court should be fair to everyone regardless of nationality. The court completely ignored all the evidence of the defense, and most importantly, the guilty plea," they said in the statement. "This contradicts the existing legal practice. Taking into account the amount of the substance (not to mention the defects of the expertise) and the plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable. We will certainly file an appeal."

Speaking outside of court, Boykov stated that approximately a third of those convicted receive parole and that the typical sentence for this kind of crime is five years in prison.

Blagovolina, a partner at the law firm Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Partners, stated that Griner "is not doing good today." Griner's family will hopefully be able to speak with her next week, according to the defense team. Griner will return to the jail where she is currently being kept, Blagovolina noted. 

Griner admitted to making 'an honest mistake'

Griner's defense attorney demanded her to be exonerated or for the court to be lenient in any penalty it imposed during the closing arguments earlier on Thursday. In addition, the 31-year-old spoke for herself. 

 "I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here," Griner said.  

The NBA champion and Olympian claims she must have put the marijuana in her purse by accident. Griner has a medical marijuana card in Arizona, according to her defense team, which she uses to manage the injuries she has accumulated over years of competing. But in Russia, like to federal legislation in the United States, it is always unlawful to possess cannabis for personal use.

In their closing arguments, Griner's defense attorneys argued for her acquittal or at the very least a light sentence by pointing out Griner's contributions to the development of Russian women's basketball and outlining irregularities in her arrest and detention, including a lack of access to qualified translators.

Additionally, the basketball star's attorneys pointed out that he was given a prescription for medical marijuana by a U.S. physician to treat severe pain during the offseason - yet he had never failed a drug test.

"What does this show?" said defense counsel Maria Blagovolina. "It shows that Brittney Griner used marijuana only at home and only in very small doses and that she had no intention to bring the substance into Russia." 

Griner repeated that she never intended to break any laws or cause harm to anyone in her closing argument to the judge.

She apologized to her Russian teammates for any damage she may have caused, adding that "this is my second home and all I wanted to do was win championships and make them proud."  

Sentence comes amid tense US-Russia relations

The severe punishment is given in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and its saber-rattling with the United States and Europe. In an effort to securely return Griner home, US officials have proposed a prospective prisoner swap with Russia. The US State Department contends that Griner is being held against her will. 

Charge d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Russia, Elizabeth Rood, said the sentence was a "miscarriage of justice," and US President Joe Biden said the lengthy sentence was "unacceptable."

"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's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates," Biden said in a statement.

 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the Russian legal system more broadly, saying the sentence "puts a spotlight on our significant concerns with Russia's legal system and the Russian government's use of wrongful detentions to advance its own agenda, using individuals as political pawns."

 

He stated that efforts are being made by the US to return Griner and Paul Whelan, an American citizen who has been detained by Russia since 2018 on suspicion of espionage."This is an absolute priority of mine and the Department's," Blinken said.

 

It's now "up to the Russian side" on whether Griner's conviction opens new doors for negotiations of a prisoner swap, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

 

"We're still open to having our proposal seriously and positively considered, and if on the Russian side that means they feel like they're more empowered to do that, then so be it," Kirby told reporters in Thursday's White House briefing.

 

The US continues to want Russia to "accept the deal on the table because it's a good one, it's fair one, and it'll help get Paul and Brittney home," Kirby said in a statement.
The hefty penalty, according to CNN National Security Analyst Steve Hall, was not unexpected, and he contended that the court proceedings in Russia were invalid. 

 

"This is all performance in Russia. There was never any doubt as to what was going to happen," he said. "What Vladimir Putin is trying to do is basically drive up the bargaining price of Ms. Griner."

 

Last week, CNN reported that the Biden administration proposed a prisoner swap with Russia, offering to release a convicted Russian arms trafficker, Viktor Bout, in exchange for Griner and Whelan. Russian officials countered the US offer, multiple sources familiar with the discussions have said, but US officials did not accept the request as a legitimate counteroffer.

 

The Kremlin warned Tuesday that US "megaphone diplomacy" will not help negotiations for a prisoner exchange involving Griner. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow believes these talks should be "discrete."

 

The Phoenix Mercury, Griner's WNBA team, was in action against the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night. Before the game, the teams observed a silence for 42 seconds during which they locked arms. The audience began chanting as the homage was coming to a close, "Get her back home! Get her back home!" Griner, a six-time WNBA all-star, represents the Mercury with No. 42.

In an earlier statement, the Mercury referred to her confinement as "a 168-day nightmare," calling the verdict "a somber milestone in that nightmare." 

"We are inspired every day by BG's strength and we are steadfastly committed to keeping her top-of-mind publicly until she is safely back on American soil. We will not allow her to be forgotten. We are BG," the statement reads.

 

Head coach Vanessa Nygaard told CNN the guilty verdict and Griner's sentence is "unacceptable."

 

"It's just heartbreaking," the coach said. "To hear her words and her apologies. Just trying to send love, prayers and strength to her."

 

Cathy Engelbert of the WNBA and Adam Silver of the NBA both slammed the decision and punishment in a joint statement, calling them "unjustified and disappointing, but not surprising."

"The WNBA and NBA's commitment to her safe return has not faltered," they added. "We are hopeful that we are nearing the finish of this process to ultimately bring BG home to the United States."

 

Her ordeal began just before Russia invaded Ukraine

One week before Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, Griner was detained in February. Her incarceration rapidly gave rise to rumors that Putin's administration intended to use her as leverage against the United States. In her final arguments to the judge on Thursday, Griner made a reference to that.

She stated, "I know that politics and political pawns are constantly being discussed, but I hope it is removed from this courtroom. 

Here's a quick recap of Griner's ordeal:

• Feb. 17: Griner is detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow 
  
• May 3: The U.S. State Department declares Griner wrongfully detained
• May 28: U.S. Ambassador to Russia John J. Sullivan calls Griner a "bargaining chip" amid talk of a possible prisoner exchange
• July 1: Prosecutors unseal their case in court as the trial begins
• July 7: Griner pleads guilty to drug charges as talk of a prisoner swap grows
• July 27: Griner testifies, saying she inadvertently brought the cannabis to Russia
• July 27: The U.S. says it offered Russia a deal to free Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan
• Aug. 4: Closing arguments begin
  

 Athletes and activists at home are calling for her release

Griner is the Phoenix Mercury's star center. However, she participates in foreign leagues during the U.S. league's offseason, where she earns significantly more money than she does in the WNBA. She has recently been a member of the Russian squad UMMC Ekaterinburg, which is run by oligarch Iskander Makhmudov. The group has a history of association with Griner's American club.

Griner was seized as she traveled from the US to rejoin her Russian team. 

In a joint statement released on Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert described the decision and sentence as "unjustified and disappointing, but not surprising."

"The WNBA and NBA's commitment to her safe return has not wavered," they said. "It is our hope that we are approaching the conclusion of this process to finally bring BG home to the United States."

The effort to free Griner has grown from her fans and fellow basketball players to include a much broader circle. This summer, dozens of rights groups, including the Human Rights Campaign, the National Organization for Women and National LGBTQ Task Force wrote a letter to President Biden urging him to treat her case with urgency.

Defense asked for leniency in closing arguments 

On Thursday, immediately after Griner entered the defendant's cage while being led by Russian police officers and wearing handcuffs, the court hearing got underway. She chatted with her legal counsel after being released from handcuffs and then held up a picture of the Russian team she played for during the WNBA summer, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Blagovolina asserted during closing arguments that Griner never consumed marijuana in Russia and never intended to do so. The attorney continued, "She didn't need to carry the vape cartridges to Russia." All of this, Blagovolina maintained, proves that her actions had no intention at all. 

Even if Griner had ever used medical marijuana, she only did so seldom, only with a doctor's prescription, and only at home in Arizona, she added. Blagovolina said that she couldn't have realized how stringent Russian law was.

Boykov contended that Griner was unable to thoroughly review the court records.According to him, everyone in Russia has the freedom to choose their language of communication and the right to speak their original tongue.

Boykov recounted a situation in which Griner was given a language interpreter who read through a lengthy document submitted by an investigator and said, "Basically, it suggests that you are guilty." 

Griner's defense team has argued throughout the trial that the prosecution's case is weak and that her detention, which occurred after she was stopped on February 17 by airport staff, was improperly handled. 

Boykov stated last week that the manner of her detention, search, and arrest was "improper," adding that further information would be provided during closing arguments. 

After she was stopped in the airport, Griner was made to sign documents that she did not fully understand, she testified. At first, she said, she was using Google translate on her phone but was later moved to another room where her phone was taken and she was made to sign more documents.  

Griner said that no attorney was present and that her rights were not explained to her. Once she was detained, she would have the right to an attorney as well as the right to know what she was accused of. Within three hours of her detention, she was required by Russian law to be made aware of her rights.

At the seventh hearing of her case on Tuesday, a defense expert stated that the material found in Griner's vape cartridges was not examined in accordance with Russian legislation. The scientists on Blagovolina's team found "a few faults," she added, in the equipment used to measure the drug.

Griner stated throughout the trial that she has a doctor's prescription for medical marijuana and had no plans to import the substance into Russia. She underwent a drug test after her incarceration in February and passed, according to earlier statements made by her attorneys.

Boykov of the Moscow Legal Center has stated, "We continue to insist that by mistake and in a hurry, she packed her suitcase and did not pay attention to the fact that substances approved for use in the United States ended up in this suitcase and arrived in the Russian Federation.