A Russian courtroom on Tuesday started listening to an attraction by American basketball star Brittany Griner, who was sentenced to 9 years in jail for drug possession.
Griner, an eight-time All-Star heart and two-time Olympic gold medalist with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, was indicted on August 4 after police stated they discovered a vape containing hashish oil in his baggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Got the canister.
Griner is attending a session held on the Moscow Regional Court by way of video name from a penal colony outdoors Moscow the place she is being held.
Griner’s February arrest got here at a time of heightened rigidity between Moscow and Washington, days earlier than Russia despatched troops to Ukraine. At the time, Griner was returning to Russia, the place she performed throughout the low season of the US League.
Griner admitted that he had canisters in his baggage, however testified that he had inadvertently packed them swiftly and had no felony intent. His protection staff submitted a written assertion that he was given hashish to deal with the ache.
The nine-year sentence was nearer to a most of 10 years, and Griner’s attorneys argued after sentencing that the sentence was extreme. He stated defendants in related circumstances have acquired a mean sentence of about 5 years, of which a few third have been granted parole.
American basketball participant Brittany Griner, who was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport and later charged with unlawful possession of hashish, earlier than a courtroom ruling in Khimki outdoors Moscow, Russia, on August 4, 2022, as defendant. Sits contained in the cage. (Reuters / Pool / File)
Prior to his sentencing, the US State Department declared Griner “wrongfully detained” – a cost that has been swiftly denied by Russia.
Reflecting mounting stress on the Biden administration to do extra to deliver Griner residence, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken took the weird step of publicly disclosing in July that Washington agreed with Paul Whelan to deliver Griner residence. A “substantial offer” was made. An American serving a 16-year sentence for espionage in Russia.
Blinken didn’t elaborate, however the Associated Press and different information organizations have reported that Washington has provided to change Griner and Whelan for Victor Bout, a Russian arms vendor who’s serving a 25-year sentence within the US. and has earned the nickname as soon as. “Play with other’s life.”
The White House stated it had not but acquired a constructive response to the proposal from Russia.
Russian diplomats declined to touch upon the US proposal and urged Washington to debate the matter in secret talks, avoiding public statements.
In September, US President Joe Biden met with Brittany Griner’s spouse Cherrell Griner, in addition to the participant’s agent, Lindsay Kolas. Biden additionally sat individually with Paul Whelan’s sister, Elizabeth Whelan.
The White House stated after the conferences that the president burdened the households’ “continued commitment to working through all available methods to bring Brittany and Paul home safely.”
The Biden administration performed a prisoner swap in April, with Moscow releasing maritime veteran Trevor Reid, in change for the US releasing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted of a drug trafficking conspiracy. was ordained.
Moscow has additionally protested the arrest of one other Russian, Alexander Vinnik, at the moment in US custody, who was accused of laundering billions of {dollars} by way of an unlawful cryptocurrency change. Vinnik was in custody in Greece after being arrested in 2017 on the request of the US earlier than being extradited to the US in August. It was unclear whether or not Russia may search Vinnik’s launch as a part of a possible swap.
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
