Brittney Griner found guilty in Russian drug trial, sentenced to 9 years in prison

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WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for over five months, was found guilty on drug charges in a Moscow-area court Thursday. She was then sentenced to nine years in prison.

The judge found that Griner had criminal intent and said she is guilty of smuggling and storing illegal drugs.

Griner, a 31-year-old Houston native who plays professional basketball for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained on Feb. 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Khimki as she returned to Russia to play during the WNBA's offseason after she was accused of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in the country.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist, who appeared in court Thursday for the final hearing in her trial, was facing up to 10 years in prison although 9 1/2 years is the maximum sentence with time served. Griner has a right to appeal.

Griner shared an emotional statement in court ahead of the verdict on Thursday morning.

She apologized to her loved ones for the hurt that her detention has caused and said that her parents instilled hard work in her and this value is what brought her to Russia.

Griner’s trip to Russia to play in the offseason has underscored the issue of pay inequality in professional basketball


Many WNBA players have traveled around the world to play in the offseason because they don’t make enough money during the season -- an issue that is not as prevalent for NBA players. The top WNBA salary is $228,000 per season, whereas star NBA players make over $20 million a year.


The Phoenix Mercury star held up a photo of her Russian teammates on Thursday and said that she made "an honest mistake" by packing the vape cartridges in her bag.


MORE: Cherelle Griner says Biden 'has not forgotten' Brittney Griner
The prosecutor argued that Griner's guilt has been proven and also asked that Griner pay a $16,500 fine, which is about 1 million Russian roubles.

Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in court last month, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were in her luggage mistakenly and that she had no "intention" of breaking Russian law.

Her legal team told ABC News in a statement last month that her "guilty" plea was recommended by her Russian attorneys.

"Brittney sets an example of being brave. She decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows that she is a role model for many people," the lawyers said in the statement. "Considering the nature of her case, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG's personality and history of positive contributions to global and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as a mitigating factor and there will be no severe sentence."

 

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Good riddance to bad rubbish. Drug dealers should know better. Especially highly paid sports drug dealers. Let's see how stupid Biden's response to this bullshit is.

 

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Brittney Griner Is Sentenced to 9 Years in a Russian Penal Colony​

President Biden called the sentence “unacceptable” and vowed to pursue all avenues to bring the American basketball star home. Her case has become mired in the conflict between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine.


Ivan Nechepurenko

Here are the latest developments.​

A Russian judge on Thursday sentenced the American basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in a penal colony after finding her guilty of bringing illegal drugs into Russia, according to her lawyers. The sentencing ended a closely watched trial that her supporters say made her a pawn in a tense geopolitical showdown over the war in Ukraine.

The guilty verdict was virtually preordained in a legal system in which defendants are rarely acquitted. It leaves Ms. Griner’s fate subject to diplomatic negotiations between Russia and the United States. The countries have been discussing the possibility of a prisoner exchange that would bring Ms. Griner home from Russia, where she has been detained since mid-February.

 

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Griner is being sent to a Russian penal colony. What is that?​

 

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Some prisoners are tortured, or beaten by fellow inmates. Some have to work 16-hour days. A few are forced to watch Russian propaganda on repeat.

This is the world of the Russian penal colony, into which Brittney Griner is about to be inducted for a nine-year term.

 

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Aug. 4, 2022, 3:54 p.m. ET3 hours ago
3 hours ago
Michael Crowley
John Kirby, a National Security Council spokesman, declined to discuss whether President Biden might offer Russia a new prisoner-exchange proposal or apply new pressure on Moscow to make a deal. “I don’t think it would be helpful to Brittney or to Paul for us to talk more publicly about about where we are in the talks and what the President might or might not be willing to do,” Kirby told reporters, referring to Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. “Conversations are ongoing at various levels,” he added.

Video

 

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A political pawn’: Outrage grows in the United States over Griner’s sentencing.​

The W.N.B.A. star Brittney Griner’s friends and colleagues expressed support and sadness for her after a Russian court found her guilty of attempting to smuggle illegal narcotics into Russia and sentenced her to nine years in a penal colony.

“Just really feeling sad and feeling sick for Brittney and hoping that she gets home as soon as possible,” said Breanna Stewart, a four-time W.N.B.A. All-Star who had played with Griner on the Russian team UMMC Yekaterinburg since 2020. “Now that the trial is done and the sentencing happened, I know she’s got to be in a very emotional state and just want her to know that we’re still continuing to do whatever we can to get her home.”

 

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Everything to Know About the WNBA Star in Russian Custody​

As tensions between the U.S. and Russia continue to rise amid the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, an American WNBA star has been detained in Russia for months. Brittney Griner, the two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and for Russia’s UMMC Ekaterinburg during the off-season, was arrested on drug charges in February after Customs found vape cartridges in her luggage at the airport. On Thursday — almost one month after Griner pleaded guilty — a Russian court convicted her of drug smuggling and sentenced her to nine years in a penal colony. Here, everything to know about her case:

Russia first announced Griner’s detention on March 6, telling the world it had an American basketball player in custody. The player was later identified as Griner, and footage allegedly showing her stop at Customs was released. According to the New York Times, Russian law enforcement claimed Griner had been found with vape cartridges containing hashish oil and opened a criminal case against her on drug-smuggling charges, which carry a jail sentence of up to ten years in a penal colony.

After Russia announced Griner’s arrest, her agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, told ESPN they were “in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA.” Colas’s statement continued, “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case, but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.” Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, also released a statement on Instagram thanking fans for their “prayers and support” and asking for privacy. Meanwhile, the WNBA released a statement offering Griner its “full support” and noting, “Our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States.” Phoenix Mercury and USA Basketball released similar statements.

 

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Brittney Griner could 'hardly talk' after being handed 9 years in Russian prison, and was expecting half that, lawyer says​

• The WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison on Thursday.
• She had been detained since February and accused of smuggling drugs into Russia.
• Her lawyer said she was "devastated" and could "hardly talk," and that they plan to appeal.

 

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Conservatives Join Trump in Siding With Russia After Brittney Griner Guilty Verdict​

Brittney Griner was found guilty of smuggling illegal narcotics into Russia and sentenced to nine years in prison on Thursday. Griner had told the court she used marijuana for medicinal purposes, as is legal in the United States and other countries. She was caught with less than a gram of cannabis oil.

Former President Trump bashed Griner recently, calling her “a potentially spoiled person” who went to Russia “loaded up with drugs,” and right-wingers are now celebrating the verdict on social media in step with the Russian state, which found no sympathy for WNBA star and two-time U.S. Olympic gold champ.

Conservative pundit Tomi Lahren showed her trademark lack of empathy, taking aim at Griner’s activism for racial justice and implying she hates America. “Brittney Griner is a cautionary tale. Hate America? Think it’s oppressive? Go to another country, play stupid games and find out what oppression and ‘No justice’ looks like. Too bad too sad.”

 

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Aug. 4, 2022, 1:51 p.m. ETAug. 4, 2022
Aug. 4, 2022
Tania Ganguli
The Phoenix Mercury, Griner’s W.N.B.A. team, called Thursday's verdict a “sobering milestone in the 168-day nightmare being endured by our sister, BG” in a statement that also expressed gratitude for and confidence in U.S. officials negotiating her release. “We are steadfastly committed to keeping her top-of-mind publicly until she is safely back on American soil,” the statement added.

 

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Russia ‘ready to discuss’ prisoner swap but will resist pressure to free Brittney Griner​

Russia is ready to discuss a prisoner swap for imprisoned Americans, said foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, but added that the Kremlin would resist public pressure to free US basketball star Brittney Griner and others being held in Russian prisons.

Lavrov’s remarks came one day after Griner received a nine-year prison sentence on drug charges that were seen as a gambit to demand an exchange for high-profile Russians in prison in the US, including the arms trafficker Viktor Bout.

“We are ready to discuss the issue [of a swap], but this should be done via the channel approved by the presidents, Putin and Biden,” Lavrov said during a press conference in Cambodia.

He referred to a backchannel that had been set up by Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin, saying “no matter who says what in public, this channel remains relevant”.

That backchannel appeared to have been successful in arranging the release of Trevor Reed, an ex-marine who had been detained in Russia for more than two years before he was exchanged in April for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot who had been held for more than a decade on drug smuggling charges.

But Lavrov also warned that Russia would not respond to “megaphone diplomacy”, demanding that any negotiations be carried out discreetly.

“If this is another case of the Americans resorting to public diplomacy and loud statements on their pending steps, it’s their business or I would even say their problem, because the Americans often fail to honour the agreement on doing calm, professional work,” he said.

Griner and her legal team tried to steer clear of politics during her trial. “I know everybody keeps talking about ‘political pawn’ and ‘politics’, but I hope that is far from this courtroom,” Griner said in a closing statement on Thursday.

Lavrov said that he had not discussed the issue of a swap with the US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who also attended the ASEAN conference in Cambodia’s capital Phnom Penh.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on a potential swap for Bout, the arms trafficker. “These swaps will never happen if we start discussing any nuances of the exchange in the press,” he told reporters on Friday.

 

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You can bet real money on the bitch having uttered the typical cupcakeer catchphrase, "Ptch! I 'on' gib a FUCK!" on the regular.

Bet she's wishing she'd given a fuck now.

 

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Trevor Noah Calls Brittney Griner Sentencing 'Bulls–' That Could Have Been Avoided if WNBA Paid Athletes More​

During Thursday's episode of "The Daily Show," Trevor Noah joined a growing list of media figures, athletes and other stars who denounced WNBA player Brittney Griner's nine-year sentence in a Russian penal colony for "smuggling" and storing cannabis oil.

"This is bulls--," he said, not mincing his words. Noah added: "We all know that Russia doesn't care what Brittney Griner did. This is the same country that's breaking every human rights law on the planet. But they're like, 'Oh that woman has vape cartridge. She's real criminal.' Get the f-- outta here, man."

The late night host pointed out that news outlets have speculated that Griner could be exchanged for a Russian prisoner -- potentially Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Negotiations for such a swap could not begin in earnest, however, until Griner's sentence was finalized.

And the one piece of good news, it looks like, is that this seems like it's just a negotiation tactic," he said. "And you know what? I think they should just do it. Whoever America has in prison, send them to Russia. It seems like they win. But don't forget, that person now has to live in Russia. They'll get there and be like, 'This whole country is prison. I miss food in Alcatraz.'"

However, no matter what the outcome is at this point, Noah agreed with many others who have pointed out the injustices that have already been done.

"If we had more time, we could talk about how this whole thing could have been avoided if the WNBA paid their stars enough that they didn't have to go and play in Russia in the off-season to make money," he said to a round of applause from the audience.

 

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Phoenix Mercury hold a 42-second moment of silence in honor of Brittney Griner​

The Phoenix Mercury, Brittney Griner's WNBA team, held a 42-second moment of silence before their game on Thursday night. The number of seconds signifies Griner's jersey number, 42.

"We are steadfastly committed to keeping her top-of-mind publicly until she's safely back on American soil," the announcer said in a video of the moment posted on Twitter.

Players from the Mercury and the Connecticut Sun gathered in a circle in the middle of the court. Towards the end of the video some people in the arena started chanting "bring her home."

Griner was convicted of deliberately smuggling drugs into Russia and sentenced to nine years of jail time Thursday.

The verdict comes about six months after the 31-year-old was arrested at a Moscow airport and accused by Russian prosecutors of trying to smuggle less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage.
The two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist pleaded guilty to drug charges last month and said she accidentally packed the drugs while in a hurry.

 

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Brittney Griner’s imprisonment paints a stark contrast for Chicago Sky players familiar with the Russian league: ‘We lived a normal life there’​

Women's basketball in Russia used to offer an offseason dream for WNBA players — first-class treatment, million-dollar contracts, elite competition. But as the WNBA and U.S. government plead for the release of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner — who was sentenced Thursday to nine years in a Russian prison after being convicted of drug possession — the prospect of returning to Russia became a non-starter for her former teammates in Chicago. Griner played under Sky coach James Wade for two seasons in Russia and won EuroLeague and Russian Cup titles with Sky stars Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot and Emma Meesseman. All three Sky players made an exodus when Russia invaded Ukraine in March, cutting short their season with UMMC Ekaterinburg. They returned to the U.S. as the war shifted the political axis in the country.

 

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How Sarah Krivanek Differs from Brittney Griner — and What It Means to Be 'Wrongfully Detained' in Russia​

Counterterrorism and intelligence expert Chris Costa tells PEOPLE he’s “absolutely confident” the U.S. is taking a very close look at the case of a lesser-known American schoolteacher jailed in Russia​

In response to the nine-year sentence Brittney Griner received Thursday following her trial in Russia for drug smuggling, U.S. President Joe Biden spoke out about the WNBA star's devastating circumstances.

"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," Biden said in a statement. "It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately."

In saying that Griner is wrongfully detained, the president is alluding to an assessment that is likely underway for another American woman jailed in Russia, Sarah Krivanek, according to Chris Costa, a 34-year veteran of the Department of Defense and former U.S. Army Intelligence officer who is now the executive director of the International Spy Museum.

'Forgotten' American Woman Jailed in Russia with Brittney Griner Tried to Flee with U.S. Help Before Arrest

PEOPLE spoke with Costa Friday to get insight into Krivanek's case. As special assistant to the president and senior director for counterterrorism in Donald Trump's White House, Costa worked on cases of Americans that were wrongfully detained overseas. Since leaving his job in government, Costa's work with the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation and Hostage US includes tracking wrongful detention cases around the world.

 

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Despite the lack of attention paid to Krivanek — who was arrested in Moscow Dec. 15, 2021, when she tried to board a plane to leave Russia amid pending charges connected to a domestic violence incident — Costa is "absolutely confident" that the U.S. is looking closely at her case.

"I believe the U.S. government doing its due diligence. They are always assessing cases for wrongful detention," he says, adding that Americans imprisoned in Russia are of particular interest right now.

"Sarah's family could be optimistic that the United States is really redoubling," Costa adds. "We are committed to taking care of U.S. citizens held abroad wrongfully."

Indeed, a State Department official confirmed the arrest of a U.S. citizen in Russia on Dec. 15 and told PEOPLE, "We take our role in assisting U.S. citizens abroad seriously and are monitoring the situation."

Determining whether Krivanek is wrongfully detained is based on criteria laid out in the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, which was passed in 2020 to shore up resources to help bring American hostages and wrongfully detainees home.

What's Next for Brittney Griner as Lawyers Plan Appeal and She Awaits a Potential Prisoner Exchange

Krivanek was charged with "intention to inflict slight bodily harm" and "threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm" in Russia after a Nov. 11, 2021, altercation with Mikhail Karavaev. In court, she alleged Karavaev was abusive and that she was defending herself when she wielded a kitchen knife and cut his nose. Karavaev later withdrew his complaint against Krivanek and later told the Russian court, "I was the one at fault."

Despite his admission and her defense, Krivanek is currently serving a one year and three month sentence at a penal colony in Ryazan, a city about 120 miles southeast of Moscow, PEOPLE learned this week.

Costa is adamant that Krivanek appears to be a victim of domestic violence — but also of "a flawed justice system."

"It's the Russian justice system," he says, "and the United States just generally has to be really careful that we can't intercede in other nations' legal systems, unless, and this is key, unless it meets criteria that's laid out in the Levinson Act."

 

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Although Costa isn't privy to the likely ongoing assessment of Krivanek's detention, he says she does not appear to be "considered by the United States, as far as I know, as being wrongfully detained."

He notes that her status "does not mean that the United States is not working on ensuring that she has all of what is entitled by a U.S. citizen in terms of Consular support."

"She is a victim, but she might not be a wrongfully detained, that's a category," Costa adds. "She was defending herself, but that doesn't mean she's wrongfully detained in accordance with Russian law."

He also emphasized that a determination of whether a prisoner is wrongfully detained based on the Levinson Act is likely ongoing and could certainly change over time.

"It's an analytical judgment based on the facts of the case. But it's kind of a sliding ruler based on the situation. It's dynamic, too, because new facts can come to light and political environments can be revealed," he says.

Brittney Griner's Team Holds Moment of Silence for Her at Game After Sentencing: 'Bring Her Home'

After her November 2021 arrest, Krivanek sought help from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and was given a repatriation loan to cover travel expenses and an escort to the airport, where she was apprehended by Russian authorities on Dec. 15, 2021.

As of two months later, she was apparently not aware of any efforts made by the embassy to assist her. In a letter dated Feb. 7, 2022, which she sent from a Moscow detention center, Krivanek wrote to an unnamed contact: "to this date no one from the American Embassy has come to see me."

"It sounds suspicious to me, and I would say the fault would lie with the Russians," he says. "Maybe she was prohibited from making the obligatory phone calls that we're used to in the United States. That might not be an opportunity that a local jailer allowed her."

"The idea of consular services not seeing an American who is being detained, that sounds suspect and unusual to me," he adds. He says he's left scratching his head, "because I know that the State Department would make a prison visit or jail visit a priority."

 

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In correspondence with PEOPLE this week, a State Department official said, "We continue to urge that Russian authorities allow consistent, timely consular access to all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia in line with its legal obligations and allow us to provide consular services for U.S. citizens detained in Russia. Our requests for access are consistently delayed or denied."

"We also continue to press for fair and transparent treatment for all U.S. citizen detainees in Russia," the official added.