American basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted in Russia on Thursday of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison after a politically charged trial that came amid rising tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine and that it could lead to a high-risk prisoner exchange between the two worlds. powers
The 31-year-old Griner, a two-time U.S. Olympic champion and eight-time star with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, listened with a blank expression as an interpreter translated Judge Anna Sotnikova’s verdict. The judge also fined him 1 million rubles (about $16,000).
“I never wanted to harm anyone to endanger the Russian population or violate any Russian law. I made an honest mistake and I hope your decision does not end my life here,” Griner said in court earlier Thursday. apologizing to his family, teammates, fans and the Russian people.
American basketball player Brittney Griner, who was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, stands inside a defendant’s cage before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia, August 4, 2022. EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/REUTERS
“I know everyone keeps talking about political pawns and politics, but I hope that’s far from this room… I hope you’ll consider all the documents, all the character lists that everyone has sent on my behalf… This is my second home, and all I wanted to do was win championships and make them proud,” he said.
US President Joe Biden denounced the verdict and sentence as “unacceptable”.
“I’m asking Russia to release him immediately so he can be with his wife, loved ones, friends and teammates,” Biden said, adding that he would continue to work to bring home Griner and Paul Whelan , an American imprisoned in Russia on a spying conviction.
As Griner was led from court after the verdict, she told reporters, “I love my family.” Her lawyers said she was very upset, stressed and could hardly speak.
Earlier in the session, with a conviction all but certain, an emotional Griner made one last appeal to the court for leniency. He said he had no intention of breaking the law by carrying cannabis oil vapor cartridges when he flew to Moscow in February to play basketball in the city of Yekaterinburg.
“I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city of (Ekaterinburg) for the mistake I made and the embarrassment I caused them,” Griner said, his voice breaking. “I also want to apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization at home, the amazing women of the WNBA and my amazing spouse at home.”
Under Russian law, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison, but judges have considerable latitude over sentencing.
If he is not released, attention will focus on the possibility of a high-risk prisoner swap that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken proposed to his Russian counterpart last week.
Griner said Yekaterinburg, a city east of the Ural Mountains, had become his “second home.”
“I had no idea that the team, the cities, the fans, my teammates would make such an impression on me in the 6 1/2 years I spent here,” he said. “I vividly remember walking out of the gym and all the girls in the stands waiting for me, and that’s what brought me back here.”
Prosecutor Nikolai Vlasenko insisted that Griner packaged the cannabis oil deliberately, and asked the court to fine him 1 million rubles (about $16,700) in addition to the prison sentence.
Attorneys for the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist have tried to bolster Griner’s claim that he had no criminal intent and that the jars ended up in his luggage by mistake. They presented character testimony from the Yekaterinburg team for which she plays in the WNBA offseason and written testimony from a doctor who said he prescribed cannabis to treat pain from injuries sustained during her basketball race
His attorney, Maria Blagovolina, argued that Griner used cannabis only in Arizona, where medical marijuana is legal.
He stressed that Griner was packing in a hurry after a grueling flight and suffering from the effects of COVID-19. Blagovolina also noted that the analysis of the cannabis in Griner’s possession was flawed and violated legal procedures.
Blagovolina asked the court to acquit Griner, noting that he had no criminal record and praising his role in “the development of Russian basketball.”
Another defense attorney, Alexander Boykov, highlighted Griner’s role in leading his Ekaterinburg team to multiple championships, noting that she was loved and admired by her teammates. He told the judge that a conviction would undermine Russia’s efforts to develop domestic sports and make Moscow’s call to depoliticize sports sound superficial.
Boykov added that even after her arrest, Griner won the sympathy of both her guards and inmates, who supported her by yelling, “Brittney, everything’s going to be okay!” when he was going for a walk around the prison.
Before her trial began in July, the State Department designated her as “wrongfully detained” and moved her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the chief hostage negotiator. of the government
Then last week, in an extraordinary move, Blinken spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and urged him to accept a deal that would see Griner and Whelan free.
The Lavrov-Blinken call marked the highest-level contact known between Washington and Moscow since Russia sent troops to Ukraine more than five months ago. Direct disclosure about Griner is at odds with US efforts to isolate the Kremlin.
People familiar with the proposal say it envisions swapping Griner and Whelan for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is serving a prison sentence in the United States. It underscores the public pressure the White House has faced to secure Griner’s release.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday that Russia has made a “bad faith” response to the US government’s offer, a counteroffer that US officials do not consider serious. She refused to elaborate.
Russian officials have scoffed at the US statements on the case, saying they show a lack of respect for Russian law. They remained poker-faced, urging Washington to discuss the issue through “quiet diplomacy without the release of speculative information.”
In a handwritten letter from Griner that was delivered to the White House last month, the WNBA player wrote how terrified she is that she could be imprisoned in Russia “forever.”
Griner’s wife, Cherelle, told “CBS Mornings” that when she read the letter, she could feel the fear that Griner felt.
“She’s probably the strongest person I know, so she doesn’t say words like that lightly. That means she’s really terrified that she might never see us again. You know, I share those same feelings,” Cherelle said .