Brittney Griner Sentenced To 9 Years In Prison After Being Found Guilty On Drug Charges In Russia

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Brittney Griner was found guilty of drug charges in a Russian court on Thursday. Shortly after being found guilty, she was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison. The prosecution was reportedly seeking nine and a half years.

Griner is being used as a political pawn. Now, with the sentencing, it forces the hand of President Joe Biden to do something sooner rather than later and get the American citizen out of Russian prison.

The American justice system is far from perfect, but this outrageous sentencing should put things into perspective for everyone, including LeBron James, about how unjust other justice systems around the world operate.

America is attempting to trade the Merchant of Death Viktor Bout for the American basketball star, but it’s unclear if that’s going to happen or not.

Immediately after the sentencing, Biden released a statement saying "Russia is wrongfully detaining" Griner.


"Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately," the statement reads in part.


The WNBA star was arrested on drug charges on February 17, 2022 after the Federal Security Service claimed she was carrying vape cartridges containing hash oil, an illegal substance in Russia.

Griner pleaded guilty to the drug charges on July 7. When pleading guilty, she explained she “packed in a hurry.”
















BRITTNEY GRINER SAYS TRANSLATION ISSUES COMPLICATED HER ARREST IN RUSSIA, DOESN’T KNOW HOW CANNABIS GOT IN HER BAG


 



(Photo by NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images)



Griner took the stand in her own defense last week, testifying that translation issues complicated her arrest in the country back in February.

She testified that her rights were never explained to her when she was detained at a Moscow airport earlier this year. Griner also stated that Russian officials told her to sign documents without explaining what they said. She explained that she used a translation app on her phone to get a basic idea of what officials and papers said.



used medical cannabis in the past
















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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.