By JIM HEINTZ
KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and smuggling, and was sentenced to 9 years in jail in a politically charged case that in the end might result in a high-stakes prisoner trade between Washington and Moscow.
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 Judge Anna Sotnikova. Griner additionally was fined 1 million rubles (about $16,700).
U.S. President Joe Biden denounced as “unacceptable” the decision and sentence, which got here amid hovering tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Ukraine.
“I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates,” Biden stated, including that he would proceed to work to deliver dwelling Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction.
Outside court docket, the U.S. Embassy’s cost d’affaires Elizabeth Rood referred to as the end result “a miscarriage of justice.”
Griner, acknowledged as one of many best gamers in WNBA historical past, has been detained since Feb. 17 after police stated they discovered vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her baggage upon touchdown at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. She was returning to Russia, the place she has competed since 2014.
As she was led out of court docket, Griner stated: “I love my family.”
The nine-year sentence was near the utmost of 10 years that Griner had confronted below the costs. Most Russians possessing small portions of medication get at most 5 years in jail, legal professionals stated.
Defense legal professional Maria Blagovolina instructed reporters later that Griner was “very upset, very stressed. She can hardly talk. It’s a difficult time for her.”
Before the unusually swift verdict was reached, an emotional Griner apologized to her household, teammates and the Russian metropolis of Yekaterinburg, the place she performs within the WNBA offseason, “for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them.”
With her voice cracking, she added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life.”
Under Russian regulation, Griner has 10 days to attraction, and her legal professionals say they anticipate a listening to in Moscow regional court docket subsequent week. Asked if Griner might ask for pardon from President Vladimir Putin, Blagovolina stated they might take into account each risk, however the legal professionals stated they weren’t a part of any discussions a few prisoner swap.
A conviction is often a prerequisite to arranging a prisoner trade and in addition permits Griner to use for a presidential pardon. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated final month that the “necessary judicial procedures” should be accomplished earlier than another steps will be taken.
The disclosure in July that the U.S. authorities was searching for a prisoner swap involving Griner mirrored the rising stress on the Biden administration to do extra to deliver her dwelling. The U.S. State Department had earlier declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a cost that Russia has sharply rejected.
When she took the stand July 7, Griner stated: “I would like to plead guilty on the charges against me. But I had no intention of breaking any Russian law.” She added that she introduced the vape canisters into Russia as a result of she had packed in haste for her flight.
In later testimony, Griner described a complicated scene whereas being held on the airport, saying an interpreter supplied by authorities translated solely a fraction of what was being stated to her and that officers instructed her to signal paperwork, however “no one explained any of it to me.” She additionally stated she was not knowledgeable of her rights.
Her legal professionals launched proof that Griner was utilizing the medicinal hashish for continual ache and accidents sustained throughout her profession and included a letter from her physician. Griner testified she was conscious that hashish oil was outlawed in Russia and had not meant to interrupt the regulation or “plan to smuggle anything into Russia.”
Trials in Russia proceed even after admissions of guilt, and there was hypothesis her actions had been an try to maneuver the authorized course of alongside in hopes of a doable prisoner swap.
Griner’s case and her practically six months behind bars have raised robust criticism amongst her supporters within the United States, together with her spouse, Cherelle, that Biden was not doing sufficient to win her freedom.
Griner despatched a private attraction to Biden, and greater than 1,100 Black feminine leaders urged the administration to “make a deal to get Brittney back home swiftly and safely and to meet with Brittney’s wife Cherelle immediately.” Biden later referred to as Cherelle Griner “to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible,” the White House stated July 6.
Cherelle Griner, who additionally spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris, later stated she was “grateful to the both of them for the time they spent with me and for the commitment they expressed to getting BG home,” utilizing her spouse’s initials.
On July 27, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated Washington has supplied a deal to Russia geared toward bringing dwelling Griner and Whelan in a pointy reversal of earlier coverage. Details of the proposal weren’t introduced, although an individual conversant in the matter stated the U.S. has supplied to commerce convicted Russian arms vendor Viktor Bout for Whelan and Griner. The individual insisted on anonymity to debate an ongoing investigation.
Russian media have speculated repeatedly that Griner may very well be swapped for Bout, nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” who’s serving a 25-year sentence within the U.S. after being convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. residents and offering assist to a terrorist group. Russia has agitated for Bout’s launch for years.
Her detention was made public solely after Russian troops moved into Ukraine, as relations between Russia and the United States hit new lows after Washington led the West in bringing sanctions towards Moscow.
Griner’s plight has been highlighted by her supporters at dwelling, together with prime athletes, particularly after little information emerged from her preliminary weeks of detention in Russia, the place she had restricted entry to officers from the U.S. Embassy. It was solely in May that the State Department designated her as wrongfully detained, shifting her case below the supervision of its Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, successfully the federal government’s chief hostage negotiator.
At the ESPY Awards final month, soccer participant Megan Rapinoe referred to Griner as “a political prisoner,” and tennis nice Billie Jean King stated, “First, bring BG home. Gotta do that.”
NBA Finals MVP Stephan Curry wore Griner’s jersey below his monitor go well with on the awards present and urged “the entire global sports community to continue to stay energized on her behalf. She’s one of us, the team of athletes in this room tonight and all over the world. A team that has nothing to do with politics or global conflict.”
Griner, a 6-foot-9 middle, has 12 of the 15 common season dunks in WNBA historical past and set the single-year file for blocks with 129 in 2014. She led the league in scoring twice. She was a two-time Associated Press faculty basketball participant of the 12 months and led Baylor to a 40-0 season and the 2012 NCAA title. She was the No. 1 choose by Phoenix within the 2013 draft.
The commissioners of the WNBA and NBA referred to as the trial’s end result “unjustified and unfortunate, but not unexpected and Brittney Griner remains wrongly detained. …It is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States.”
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Associated Press author Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”