US basketball player Brittney Griner’s appeal against her nine-year sentence to prison on drug charges was denied by a Russian court.
The state prosecutor praised the sentence as “fair” as the court outside of Moscow affirmed it. The two-time Olympic gold medalist expressed regret for her “obvious mistake” and described the appeal session as “extremely, very difficult” in her apology. Griner, 32, was found guilty of possessing and importing cannabis oil in August. It wasn’t immediately obvious if she had tried every legal option. She will be sent to a prison colony to complete her sentence.
Alexander Boykov, the WNBA star’s attorney, expressed his team’s belief that a prisoner swap would be feasible. The potential of a prisoner swap featuring the basketball player between the US & Russia was brought up by the Kremlin in August. According to reports in US media, Washington may release the Merchant of Death, or imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, to Moscow as part of the agreement.
President Joe Biden stated that the US is in “constant touch” with Russia to free her and the other prisoners. He has called for their release from the Phoenix Mercury Center. Although there hasn’t been much support for us thus far, Mr. Biden declared that “we’re not stopping.” A request to Russia for the return of Griner as well as Paul Whelan, a US resident and former Marine who was detained in Moscow on suspicion of spying, was discussed by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, according to US Department of State spokesperson Ned Price.
Why Is Brittney Griner Imprisoned
Griner, who is regarded as one of the best women’s basketball players in the world, was arrested on February 17 at a nearby airport after a vape cartridge carrying cannabis oil was discovered in her luggage. For the US off-season, she traveled to Russia to practice professional basketball. After Russia attacked Ukraine in February, ties between the US & Russia deteriorated, and now her situation is the focus of high-profile negotiations between the two countries.
Griner, 32, appeared via video link from a prison colony outside the city even though she was not present at the Moscow Regional Court hearing. Griner confirmed having the canister in her suitcase at her trial, but she claimed she packed them accidentally in her rush to catch her trip and didn’t have any malicious purpose. Written documents from her defense team indicated that she had been given a cannabis prescription to relieve chronic pain. Griner’s attorneys contended that the penalty was harsh after the conviction because the nine-year prison was closer to the maximum of ten years. According to them, defendants in situations like these achieved an overall sentence of 5 years, with around a third of them being given parole.
Her Early Life And Professional Career
Basketball player Brittney Griner was born in Houston, Texas, on October 18, 1990. Her team even advanced to the Texas 5A girls’ basketball championship game, where they lost in the final, but Griner was recognized as a WBCA All-American that year. Griner attended Nimitz High School, where she played volleyball as well as basketball for the Cougars. The Phoenix Mercury took her with the first overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft. Her rookie season was fantastic, and by her rookie campaign, she had already established the record for the most blocks in one WNBA game during the regular season with 11.
They won the series and went on to defeat the Chicago Sky in the 2014 WNBA Finals. Griner traveled to China during the 2013–2014 offseason to compete for the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, where she made $600,000 in just four months. Twelve times as much as her Mercury rookie salary. She also spent three seasons playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where she is currently being held, and together they were able to win back-to-back championships.
FAQs
1. What is the age of Brittney Griner?
Ans. 32 years
2. When is Brittney Griner’s birthday?
Ans . 18 October 1990
3. What is the height of Brittney Griner?
Ans. 2.06 m
4. Who is the wife of Brittney Griner?
Ans. Cherelle Griner
5. What is the net worth of Brittney Griner?
Ans. $5 million
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