: WNBAs Brittney Griner Convicted at Drug Trial in Russia and Sentenced to 9 Years #WorldNEWS KHIMKI, Russia — U. S. basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession

WNBAs Brittney Griner Convicted at Drug Trial in Russia and Sentenced to 9 Years #WorldNEWS
KHIMKI, Russia — U. S. basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in prison following a politically charged trial that came amid soaring tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine and could lead to a high-stakes prisoner exchange between the two world powers.
The 31-year-old Griner, a two-time U. S. Olympic champion and a eight-time all-star with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury listened with a blank expression as an interpreter translated the verdict by Judge Anna Sotnikova. The judge also fined her 1 million rubles (about ,700) fine.
U. S. President Joe Biden denounced the verdict and sentence as “unacceptable. ”
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“I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates,” Biden said, adding that he would continue to work to bring home Griner and Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia on an espionage conviction.
Outside the court, the U. S. Embassys charge d’affaires Elizabeth Rood called the verdict “a miscarriage of justice. ”
Before the unusually swift verdict was reached, an emotional Griner apologized to her family, teammates and the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, where she plays in the WNBA offseason, “for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them. ”
With her voice cracking, she added: “I hope in your ruling it does not end my life. ”
A conviction is usually a prerequisite to arranging a prisoner exchange and also allows Griner to apply for a presidential pardon. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month that the “necessary judicial procedures” must be completed before any other steps can be taken.
The disclosure in July that the U. S. government was seeking a prisoner swap involving Griner reflected the growing pressure on the Biden administration to do more to bring her home. The U. S. State Department had earlier declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected.
Griner, recognized as one of the greatest players in WNBA history, has been detained since Feb. 17 after police said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage upon landing at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. She was returning to Russia, where she has competed since 2014.
When she took the stand at her trial July 7, Griner said: “I would like to plead guilty on the charges against me. But I had no intention of breaking any Russian law. ” She added that she brought the vape canisters into Russia because she had packed in haste for her flight.

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