KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — An emotional Britney Griner apologized in a Russian court on Thursday as her drug trafficking case concluded, and a prosecutor has sought the American basketball star to be found guilty and sentenced to 9.5 years in prison. A case that has reached the heights of US-Russian diplomacy.
Due to the judge’s unusually quick decision later that day and the conviction nearly final, Griner filed a final appeal to the court. When he flew to Moscow in February to play basketball in Yekaterinburg, he said he had no intention of breaking the law by bringing in cannabis oil vape cartridges.
“I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city (Yekaterinburg) for the mistake I made and the embarrassment I caused them,” Griner said, muting. “I also want to apologize to my family, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury at home, the beautiful women of the WNBA, and my wonderful wife at home.”
Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison under Russian law, but judges have considerable leeway in imposing sentences.
If not released, attention will be turned to the possibility of a major prisoner swap, which US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken proposed with his Russian counterpart last week.
Noting that he made an “honest mistake” by importing vape cartridges to Russia, Griner said, “I hope your decision doesn’t end my life.”
Griner said Yekaterinburg, a city east of the Ural Mountains, is his “second home.”
“I didn’t know that in the 6.5 years I’ve spent here, the team, the cities, the fans, my teammates have affected me so much,” he said. “I definitely remember getting out of the gym and all the little girls in the stands waiting for me, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”
Prosecutor Nikolai Vlasenko insisted that Griner had deliberately packaged the cannabis oil and asked the court to fine Briner 1 million rubles (about $16,700) in addition to his prison sentence.
Lawyers for the Phoenix Mercury Center and the two-time Olympian sought to bolster Griner’s claim that he had no criminal intent and that the boxes accidentally fell into his trunk. Representative witnesses from the WNBA’s Yekaterinburg team in the off-season provided testimony from a doctor who said he prescribed marijuana to relieve pain from injuries sustained during his basketball career.
His attorney, Maria Blagovina, argued that Griner only used marijuana in Arizona, where medical marijuana is legal.
He stressed that Griner had hurriedly packed up after a grueling flight and was suffering from the effects of COVID-19. Blagovolina also pointed out that the analysis of the cannabis in Griner’s possession was wrong and violated legal procedures.
Blagovina asked the court to acquit Griner, stating that he had no criminal record and praising his role in “the development of Russian basketball”.
Another defender, Aleksandr Boikov, emphasized Griner’s role in the team that won several championships in Yekaterinburg, noting that he was loved and appreciated by his teammates. The judge said his conviction would undermine Russia’s efforts to develop national sports and undermine Moscow’s call to depoliticize the sport.
Boikov said that even after his arrest, Griner won the sympathy of the guards and inmates who supported him and said, “Britney, everything will be fine!” He added that he shouted. when you go to prison.
Before his trial began in July, the State Department declared his case “falsely imprisoned” by placing his case under the custody of the president’s special envoy for hostage affairs, the de facto government’s chief hostage negotiator.
Later last week, Blinken took the unusual step of approaching Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, urging him to agree to a deal that would free Griner and Paul Whelan, who were imprisoned in Russia in the espionage case.
The Lavrov-Blinken call was the highest-profile high-profile engagement between Washington and Moscow since Russia sent troops to Ukraine more than five months ago. Direct contact with Griner runs counter to US efforts to isolate the Kremlin.
Those familiar with the offer say it involves the exchange of Griner and Whelan for notorious arms dealer Victor Bout, who is serving a prison sentence in the United States. It highlights the public pressure the White House has faced to secure Greener’s release.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday that Russia had responded “in bad faith” to the US government’s offer, a counteroffer that US officials did not consider seriously. She refused to explain.
Russian officials mocked the US statements in the case, saying they showed disrespect for Russian law. They continued to encourage Washington to discuss the issue through “silent diplomacy without publishing speculative information”.
Source: Breitbart
