Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who is currently sitting in a Russian prison cell for possession of cannabis, has been sentenced to serve nine years in prison.
Griner did not flinch as she was given her sentence and the basketball star is also required to pay a fine of $16,300.
The proceedings took place at the Khimki court, just outside of Moscow and Griner, who is only 31, will now spend the bulk of her 30s in prison.
The White House released a statement on behalf of President Biden upon hearing of the sentence.
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney,” the statement read. “It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates.”
Biden vowed to “work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue” to bring Griner and American Paul Whelan, who is also jailed in Russia, home “as soon as possible.”
“Maybe we’ll hear something. I don’t know. It has not been discussed with us,” attorney Maria Blagovolina said
White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that an offer made by the United States, which was rumored to be a swap of both Griner and Whelan, for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, was still a possibility.
“We’re still open to having our proposal seriously and positively considered,” Kirby said Thursday. “We want them to take the offer that’s on the table because it’s a good one, it’s a fair one and it’ll help to bring Paul and Brittney home”
“Conversations are ongoing on multiple levels,” he said.
Griner’s attorneys said they were already planning the appeal and that Griner was feeling “disheartened” by the verdict.
“We certainly believe this sentencing does not match the act that was committed,” Blagovolina said. “Moreover, it goes completely against legal precedent related to this statute, taking into consideration the quantity (of cannabis) and Griner’s admission of guilt.”
She added: “We are definitely going to appeal. We certainly disagree, are surprised and disappointed with the Khimki court’s ruling today.”
During her trial, Griner said the cannabis product found her bag was an honest mistake:
“I want the court to understand that this was an honest mistake that I made while rushing, under stress, trying to recover from COVID and just trying to get back to my team,” Griner said
“I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that is far from this courtroom,” she continued. “I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesn’t end my life here.”
Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary said on Thursday that Russia should accept the US offer of a swap.
“We urge Russia to accept that proposal,” she said at a White House press briefing. “I’m not able to share more publicly at this time, but we are willing to take every step necessary to bring home our people, as we demonstrated with Trevor Reed. And that’s what we’re going to do here. I can assure you, that this is something the President and our national security team are focused on every single day.”
Russia is a sovereign nation with it’s own laws. Ignorance is NOT a VALID excuse or defense when you violate ANY countries Laws. Communist Regimes do NOT recognize the Freedoms American citizens enjoy. ( Because of the Veterans who provided it.) An American Athlete who openly despises the USA, Then gets caught in another country breaking their laws, then wants the USA to bail them out is Deplorable. Although, typical of a Liberal Demonrat Hypocrite. “Don’t do the crime if you cant do the time” There are MANY Americans who love their country that get locked up abroad, (watch the TV show) that Liberal Demonrat Politicians completely IGNORE. Griner is no more important or special than any one else. It is obvious, had she been a straight , heterosexual, conservative patriot American, there would be no hype & drama coming from the FAKE msm.
You notice that the Beijing Biden administration did not give a shit about the US Marine Paul Whelan being locked up in Russia for supposed espionage since 2018. But just as soon as some spoiled brat rich athlete like Brittney Griner breaks the law in a foreign country, she and her family want the US to get her out. She did nothing but bad mouth the US, call us racist and disrespected the flag that my whole family back to my grandfather fought and defended along with many others like Paul Whelan so all Americans could have freedom. I did not see the Beijing Biden administration doing anything to get Paul Whelan out, nope did not give a dame until Griner breaks their laws. If the US is so racist then you should enjoy Russia and your new housing arrangement.
Thank you for yours n your families service to our GREAT country,, I too am a very as is my father n his father n so on,
I agree that she should root in prison,, you can’t go around Sh!tting on my country n flag n then turn around n EXPECT that you deserve special treatment,, You get what you got cause you do stupid things,, Can’t Do The Time Don’t Do The Crime!
FJB,, FJB, FJB
Very well said. And God bless you and thank you for your service to our wonderful country.
Swap a notorious arms dealer for an entitled lesbian ball player and a wrongly-accused Marine? Leave it to the screwed-up O’Biden administration to think that’s a fair swap. If anything, do the exchange but leave the privileged idiot to serve her 9+ years in a country other than the one she hates so much. Morons like her still won’t get it even after serving the full sentence. Still, you can expect the O’Biden administration to do the wrong thing. At least they’re consistent!
We didn’t hear any conversation regarding trading anyone for Trevor Reed but when Brittney Griner (an obvious hater of the U. S. by her own words) gets convicted the Biden administration is willing to trade a war criminal for her. Wonder why she’s more important than Reed is. I personally have no problem with her staying in a Russian cell for the next 8 years, 11 months and 29 days. I’m sure Russia will give her one day off for good behavior (if she has any). If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.
I never heard of Brittney Griner before. Does anyone know what she said about our beautiful country. Please explain if you can. I know nothing about her till recently.
JUSTICE IS JUSTICE … 9 AND A HALF YEARS SEEMS NORMAL FOR SUCH AN OFFENCE ….
hope they are human enough in Russia to let her do the only thing she knows to do .. dribble….
You reap what you sow … Oh dear, 9 years for being a vile traitor
She can say “ she didn’t know those cartridges were in her bag “ all she wants, the fact remains, they were! And why is she permitted to use drugs in the first place? Isn’t that supposedly against the team rules? Oh yeah, I forgot, the rules don’t apply to her ilk! She got what she deserves, and a terrorist should NOT be traded for her! Shades of Obama trading FIVE top Taliban leaders for a stinking deserter! That shouldnot have happened either, just as this trade should not happen.
Amen to that let her serve her time, just maybe she will learn to respect the US. No I dought it, privileged people like her never learn they just think they are above the law.
griner is no more important than a pee hole in a snow bank ! She has actively denounced the United States of America and our National Anthem when she could. Proudly wearing her “blm” jacket when arrested for her bringing a KNOWN drug into another sovereign nation. Any one with knowledge of “blm” knows they are a marxist trained group by their own admission and so, why in HELL should America bail her anti-American, marxist supporting ass out of Russia after she broke their laws ? OUR government shouldn’t even be wasting their time on her ~ PERIOD !!
Leave HER and any drug smuggler in jail in the country where she BROKE THE LAW !! PERIOD !!!
RIGHT, I REALLY DON”T GAVE A DAMN ABOUT HER !!
In the light of Brittney Griner sentence, the diot Biden is telling Americans to remember who Russia is while his weaponized FBI is breaking in to the house of the 45th American president.
Stupid Pence refused to de- certify the stolen election because there was no precedent to this action before and apparently he did not wanna go in the history to be the first to set one. It appears that the Democrat thieves which he helped to stay in power , have no problems to commit actions which had no precedence in history as long as this keeps them in power .
I hope stupid Pence watches Mr. Trump’s house invasion an learn his lesson as far as NOT SETTING A PRECEDENTS
Aa far as the Democrat thieves you have seen nothing yet.
Wait unti November and see what will happen with the elections.
To hell with her, she knew what she was doing and broke the law because she thinks she is special .Well she did the crime now do the time.
.
WHAT STUPID EXCUSES SHE IS USING. SHE THOUGHT THEY WOULD LET HER GO, JUST LIKE THAT. IN RUSSIA NO ONE IS SPECIAL. BIDEN SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON OUR COUNTRY. NOT WHAT SOME IDIOT DID. BUT HE JUST LOVES LGBTQ, HE CANT HELP HIMSELF. LET HER DO THE TIME, SHE DID THE CRIME.
Everytime I hear Joe McSniffy Schitz-His-Pants or Kackles the Klown claim Griner is “Wrongfully Detained,” I’m reminded of how utterly Stupid the two of them are. She broke the Law of the country she was going too. She is very much Lawfully Detained. It doesn’t matter what the law in the US says, it’s what the law says in the foreign country.
Let her rot in jail. She has broken the law in Russia. Why would the biden administration trade one terrorist traitor for another? FJB!!