Moscow –
Court Russia found American basketball star Brittney Griner guilty of smuggling and storing illegal drugs. The court sentenced Griner to 9 years in prison.
Reported AFP, Thursday (4/8/2022), the Court ‘found the defendant guilty’ of smuggling and possessing ‘significant amounts of narcotics’. The verdict was read out by judge Anna Sotnikova at the court in the city of Khimki outside Moscow.
Sotnikova sentenced Griner, 31, to nine years in prison and said she must also pay a fine of 1 million rubles. The basketball star was detained at Moscow airport in February after he was found carrying a vape cartridge with marijuana oil in his luggage.
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The arrests came just days before Moscow launched its military intervention in Ukraine. Prosecutors had previously requested that the two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist and NBA Women’s champion be sentenced to nine and a half years in prison on drug smuggling charges.
The Griner trial comes with tensions rising between Moscow and Washington over Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine that has sparked international condemnation and a series of Western sanctions.
“I made a mistake, to be honest and I hope your decision doesn’t end my life here,” Griner said.
“I want the court to understand that it was an honest mistake I made while rushing, under pressure, trying to recover from post-COVID and just trying to get back into my team.”
Griner’s trial has accelerated in recent days as the United States and Russia discussed a potential prisoner swap that could involve the basketball star.
“I ask the court to find Griner guilty and sentence him to nine years and six months in prison,” said prosecutor Nikolay Vlasenko, asking for a sentence shorter than the maximum sentence of 10 years.
Vlasenko said Griner ‘deliberately’ walked through the green corridor at customs and stated he had nothing ‘to hide’ his luggage.
Griner walked into the courtroom handcuffed and escorted by several law enforcement officers and a police dog.
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