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Brittney Griner is denied appeal in Russia, 9-year sentence stands

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The appeal filed by the team of American basketball player Brittney Griner was denied by the Russian court on Tuesday (25). In August, she was sentenced to nine years in prison for possession and smuggling of e-cigarette cartridges with cannabis oil, amid tensions between Moscow and Washington amid the Ukrainian War.

In August, Griner and his lawyers asked for an acquittal or a reduction in the athlete’s sentence, after arguing that the sentence was disproportionate to the crime. The court ignored the request and upheld the decision.

Participating in the hearing by videoconference, the player said that the sentence “has been very stressful and traumatizing”, according to the report of a journalist with the AFP news agency.

Alexander Boikov, Griner’s defense attorney, asked the court to consider the possibility of acquittal. “No judge would say, with an open heart, that the nine-year sentence is in accordance with Russian criminal law.”

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Griner was “wrongfully detained in intolerable circumstances”. On Tuesday, he stressed that President Joe Biden “has been very clear about the fact that Brittney must be released immediately.”

He also stated that the judgment of the appeal was false and added that the US will continue to be committed to helping the athlete.

Griner was arrested on February 17 at a Moscow airport, a week before Russia sent troops to Ukraine. Her case ended up being incorporated into the context of the crisis that emerged in the US and took on a geopolitical tone due to the Russian offensive in Ukraine. Other Americans are imprisoned in Russia and the US is also fighting for her release.

The athlete admitted that she carried cannabis oil, but claimed she accidentally took it to Russia. Griner claimed she used the substance legally in the US to relieve pain. She was in Russia to play in the country’s women’s basketball league during the sport’s offseason in the US — something players often do to supplement their income.

In the US, Griner is signed to the Phoenix Mercury. Two-time Olympic champion (Rio-2016 and Tokyo-2020), at 31 years old and 2.06 meters tall, she is considered one of the stars of basketball in the country since the university league.

basketballJoe BidenleafMoscownbanbbOlympicsRussiaUnited StatesUSAusa crisisVladimir Putin

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