WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was imprisoned in Russia, was found guilty of illegal drug possession but denied knowingly violating Russia’s strict drug laws.
Griner pleaded guilty to possession charges in a speech in court on Thursday. According to the Reuters news agency, the drug offense carries a prison sentence of up to ten years.
“I want to confess, Your Honor. But he has no intention. According to reports, I don’t want to break the law,” Griner told the court. But he asked for more time and “preparatory time” to give the full speech.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February and charged with “drug smuggling” as he reportedly had a CBD vape cartridge in his luggage. Since then, he has been rotting in a Russian prison.
Phoenix Mercury center Britney Greener (Mike Mattina/Getty Images)
He will then appear in court in Moscow on July 14.
Griner’s Russian lawyer, Alexander Boyko, told the media they were hoping for the lightest possible sentence.
The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that after the court’s decision, Griner can appeal the decision or petition for clemency.
The guilty plea was made the same week as Griner sent Biden a letter to the White House asking for help getting stuck in Russia’s legal system.
However, the player’s coach, Vanessa Nygaard, suggested that Biden did nothing to help the actress because she was a lesbian.
“If it’s LeBron, he’s home, right?” He said, according to Fox News. “This is a statement about the value of women. This is a statement about the value of blacks. This is a statement about the value of being gay. Everything. And we know. I mean, that hurts more. ”
Source: Breitbart
