KHIMKI, Russia –
American basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and smuggling and was sentenced to nine years behind bars in a politically charged case that could lead to a high-risk 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 with a blank expression as an interpreter translated Judge Anna Sotnikova’s verdict, but her attorneys said later. she was very upset.” Griner was also fined 1 million rubles (about US$16,700).
US President Joe Biden denounced the verdict and sentence as “unacceptable”, which came amid rising tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine.
“I am calling on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her 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 conviction for espionage.
Outside court, US Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth Rood called the result “a miscarriage of justice.”
Griner, widely recognized as one of the greatest players in WNBA history, has been in detention since February 17 after police said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage upon landing at Sheremetyevo airport. Moscow. She was returning to Russia, where she has been competing since 2014.
As she was led out of court, Griner said, “I love my family.”
The nine-year sentence was close to the 10-year maximum Griner had faced on the charges. Most Russians who possess small amounts of drugs receive a maximum of five years in prison, the lawyers said.
Defense attorney Maria Blagovolina told reporters later that Griner was “very upset, very stressed. She can barely speak. It’s a difficult time for her.”
Before the unusually quick verdict was reached, 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 embarrassment I put on them.” caused”.
With a broken voice, he added: “I hope that his ruling does not 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 apologize to President Vladimir Putin, Blagovolina said she would consider all possibilities, but the lawyers said they were not part of any discussion of a prisoner swap.
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, said the sentence “was harsh by Russian legal standards and shows what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn.” She added that she supported Biden’s efforts “to reach a deal.”
A conviction is usually needed before arranging a prisoner exchange and it also allows Griner to apply for a pardon. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month that “necessary court procedures” must be completed before further action can be taken.
The revelation in July that the US government was seeking a prisoner exchange involving Griner reflected mounting pressure on the Biden administration to do more to bring her home. The US State Department had previously stated that Griner had been “wrongly detained”, a charge Russia has strongly denied.
When he took the stand on July 7, Griner said, “I would like to plead guilty to the charges against me. But I had no intention of breaking any Russian law.” He added that he brought the vape canisters to Russia because he had packed them in a hurry for his flight.
Griner also described a confusing scene while detained at the airport, saying an interpreter provided by authorities translated only a fraction of what she was told and officials told her to sign documents without explaining what they were. She also said that she was not informed of her rights.
His attorneys presented evidence that Griner was using medical cannabis for chronic pain and injuries sustained during his career and included a letter from his doctor. Griner testified that she knew that cannabis oil was prohibited in Russia and that she did not intend to break the law or “plan to smuggle anything into Russia.”
Griner’s case and his nearly six months behind bars have drawn sharp criticism from his supporters in the United States, including his wife, Cherelle, that Biden was not doing enough to earn his freedom.
Griner sent a personal appeal to Biden, and more than 1,100 Black leaders urged the administration to “make a deal for Brittney to return home quickly and safely and meet with Brittney’s wife, Cherelle, immediately.” Biden then called Cherelle Griner “to assure her that she is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible,” the White House said on July 6.
Cherelle Griner, who also spoke with US Vice President Kamala Harris, later said she was “grateful to both of them for their time with me and for the commitment they expressed in bringing BG home,” using their initials. wife.
On July 27, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington had offered Russia a deal aimed at bringing Griner and Whelan home in a sea change from previous policy. Details of the proposal were not announced, although a person familiar with the matter said the United States offered to trade convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Whelan and Griner. The person insisted on anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.
Russian media have repeatedly speculated that Griner could be swapped for Bout, dubbed “the merchant of death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the United States after being convicted of conspiring to kill American citizens and aiding a terrorist organization. . Russia has campaigned for Bout’s release for years.
The severity of Griner’s sentence could give Russia leverage in a trade by increasing pressure on Washington to negotiate his release.
“I think the harsher the sentence, the more pressure there is on the Biden administration to come to an agreement, and they obviously like to take advantage of that pressure,” Tom Firestone, an attorney who previously served as resident legal counsel at the Embassy of USA in Moscow, said of the Russians before the sentence was imposed.
Even with US-Russian relations at a low ebb, the two countries managed to arrange an April swap of Trevor Reed, a former US Marine detained in Russia, for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot and convicted drug trafficker serving a 20 year prison. sentence in Connecticut.
Griner’s detention became public only after Russian troops entered Ukraine, when relations between Russia and the United States hit new lows after Washington led the West in imposing sanctions against Moscow.
His plight has been highlighted by supporters at home, including top athletes, especially after little news emerged about his first weeks of detention in Russia, where he had limited access to US diplomats. It was only in May that the State Department designated her as wrongfully detained, turning her case over to its Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, effectively the government’s top hostage negotiator.
At the ESPY Awards last month, soccer star Megan Rapinoe referred to Griner as “a political prisoner,” and tennis great Billie Jean King said, “First, bring BG home. I have to.”
NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry wore Griner’s jersey under his tracksuit at the awards show and urged “the entire global sports community to continue to be energized on his behalf.”
Griner, a 6-foot-9 center, has 12 of 15 regular-season dunks in WNBA history and set the single-year record for blocks with 129 in 2014. She led the league in scoring twice. She was a two-time Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year and led Baylor to a 40-0 season and the 2012 NCAA title. She was Phoenix’s first pick in the 2013 draft.
His teammates watched Thursday’s trial on television in a locker room in Connecticut, where they were to play a game that night. The game was to be preceded by a 42-second moment of silence: 42 is Griner’s number.
The WNBA and NBA commissioners called the verdict “unwarranted and unfortunate, but not unexpected.”
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Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington and Doug Feinberg in New York contributed.