American top basketball player Brittney Griner (32) has been sentenced to nine years in Russian prison for possession and smuggling of cannabis oil. A court in the Russian capital Moscow ruled this on Tuesday, according to international news agencies, after Griner appealed against the verdict. Griner and her lawyer believe the sentence is disproportionate to the crime — even by Russian standards. The court was implacable, calling the verdict “fair.”
One of Griner’s lawyers, Aleksandr Bojkov, said in court: “No judge will honestly say that this sentence is in line with Russian law. This harshness shocks people all over the world.” In her final statement, Griner herself said how stressful the past time has been for her. “People have been jailed for shorter periods for more.”
A week before Russia invaded Ukraine, Griner was arrested at Moscow airport after customs found 0.7 grams of cannabis oil in her luggage. She’s been stuck ever since. The two-time Olympic gold winner claims the oil accidentally ended up in her luggage. She did, however, plead guilty for possessing cannabis, according to the top athlete a “sincere mistake”. Cannabis is illegal in Russia and possession is severely punished. Griner says he used it for pain complaints.
Griner’s detention has sparked a diplomatic row between the United States and Russia. The US alleges that Griner is being wrongly detained and speaks of ‘hostage diplomacy’. That refers to the detention of foreigners in order to put pressure on another government. White House security adviser Jake Sullivan has said he is making efforts to bring Griner home. This may require a prisoner exchange, including with other US citizens detained in Russia.