First modification:
The magistrate in charge of the case of the American women’s basketball star found her guilty of drug possession and smuggling. Although she mitigated her term for her career as an Olympian, she only reduced her maximum sentence by one year. The United States authorities repudiated the resolution; Joe Biden stated that it was “unacceptable” and demanded “immediately” her release. For his part, Anthony Blinken will seek communication with Serguei Lavrov.
This Thursday, August 4, the Russian justice system made a noisy decision by sentencing American basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling.
Arrested on February 17 at the Moscow Sheremetyevo airport for possessing cannabis oil, today she was read the decision made by judge Anna Sotnikova, who considered that the athlete was “guilty of committing the crimes” listed in articles 228 and 229.1 of the Russian penal code.
The prosecutor stressed that “Griner’s guilt has been fully proven” and dismissed the defense’s requests for acquittal, which also asked for the lowest possible sentence. In Russia, the charges brought against the 31-year-old American carry a maximum limit of a decade in jail.
Finally, the judge reduced her punishment to nine years considering her outstanding career as a basketball player, world and Olympic champion. Additionally, she was currently serving at UMMC in Yekaterinburg.
Following the ruling, Griner admitted that he understood with a stiff face. In this same hearing, held in the urban court of Khimki, he acknowledged that it was a “mistake”, but “without bad intention”.
“I hope the ruling does not end my life,” he added. The team of lawyers warned that they will appeal the sentence. “Taking into account the amount of the substance, not to mention the flaws in the expertise, and the guilty plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable,” they emphasized in a letter.
“I love my family,” Griner said as he left the audience. Seconds later, her defender, Maria Blagovolina, said that she “is very upset, very stressed.” “She can barely speak. It’s a difficult time for her,” she added.
The aftershocks from the United States were not delayed for a moment. Virtually simultaneously with the reading of the resolution, President Joe Biden said in a statement that this was “unacceptable” and urged Russia to release the defendant “immediately.”
The president promised that they will continue “relentlessly” and “searching through all possible avenues” so that both Griner and former Marine Paul Whelan “return home and are safe as soon as possible.”
For his part, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken stressed that this does not change “nothing about the determination that Griner was wrongfully detained.” “We will continue to work to bring Brittney and Citizen Whelan home,” he added.
In late July, Washington proposed to Moscow a prisoner swap that included the release of Griner and Whelan in exchange for arms dealer Viktor Bout, reported. The transaction was rejected and the counteroffer -also denied- included the Chechen Vadim Krasikov.
With EFE and Reuters
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