WNBA Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner has been sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison.
Despite a doctor’s note from Griner’s physician, a prisoner exchange offer from the Biden administration, and countless media coverage protesting Griner’s case, Russia didn’t budge on its lengthy sentence for Griner.
On Thursday (August 4), a Russian judge gave a harsh punishment, rejecting Brittney’s plea for forgiveness after bringing less than a gram of cannabis oil to the country in February. The athlete has officially been found guilty of drug smuggling and possession with criminal intent and a fee of 1 million rubles, which is an estimated $16,300 in the United States.
According to The New York Times, officials in Moscow stated that “no prisoner exchange is possible until a verdict” has been reached. Elizabeth Rood, Charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Moscow, stood outside the courtroom as Griner’s case reached a verdict, stating that the professional basketball player had been “a miscarriage of justice.”
President Joe Biden released a statement after Griner’s verdict, stating, “Today, American citizen Britney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew. Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney… My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Britney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”
Former Marine Paul Whelan was arrested in December 2018 and accused of spying, receiving a 16-year prison sentence in June 2020. Also, Trevor Reed, another former Marine, was arrested in 2019 after a drunken night in Moscow, sentenced to 9 years in prison, and was freed in April after a prisoner swap.
Griner pleaded guilty during her trial four months after being detained, hopeful that pleading guilty would reduce her sentence. In the end, the athlete got one year less than the maximum sentence and six months less than what prosecutors asked for.
Let us know what you think about Brittney Griner’s sentence by leaving a reaction at the bottom of the post or by tweeting us at @celebsecrets.
