Basketball player Brittney Griner is sentenced to nine years in prison for drug smuggling. This Thursday, the Moscow court announced the sentence for the athlete, for an action that was considered criminal intent. The accusation against him also It is based on the fact that the star of the American contest is being used for political purposes for the war between Russia and Ukraine.
From Russian soil, the judge in charge of the case, Anna Sotnikova, sanctioned the American with a fine of close to a million rubles, which is equivalent to an amount close to 16,400 dollars. The magistrate also considered Griner’s partial admission of guilt, in addition to his remorse for the act, his state of health and his charitable activities.
The American was detained at the Moscow airport, after the Russian country’s police found about a gram of cannabis oil in his luggage, according to information provided by the Russian prosecutor’s office.
Griner’s lawyers reported that, after the conviction was released, the court did not consider the evidence that was presented by the defense, so they will file an appeal in order to reverse the situation.
“We are very disappointed by the verdict. As legal professionals, we believe that the court should be fair to everyone, regardless of nationality. The court completely ignored all the defense evidence. And, more importantly, the guilty plea.”they assured.
In the preview of the final ruling, the athlete apologized for the situation and appealed to emotional statements. “I never wanted to hurt anyone, I never wanted to endanger the Russian population, I never wanted to break any laws here.”Griner said.
“I made an honest mistake and I hope his failure doesn’t end my life here. I know that everyone is still talking about political pawn and politics. But I hope that is far from this courtroom.”he complemented.
The basketball player assured that at no time did breaking the law cross her mind. “I had no intention of breaking any Russian law. I had no intention. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime. That is why I pleaded guilty to my charges. I understand everything that has been said against me, the charges against me and for that I have pleaded guilty. But I did not intend to violate any Russian law.”said.
In July, the athlete pleaded guilty to the complaint against her. However, her case caused the rejection of the US authorities. The US State Department assured that his detention was unlawful. Six months later, the sentence was known.
The president of the United States, Joe Biden, referred to the situation of the basketball player. “Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is yet another reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It is unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates.”said the helmsman.
