Russian prosecutors have sentenced the US basketball star Brittney Griner to 9 years in jail on costs of drug smuggling, elevating the stakes of a proposed prisoner swap between the 2 nations.
The lengthy jail sentence comes after the US stepped up its efforts in current weeks to safe the discharge of Griner and different Americans detained in Russia, as tensions with Moscow proceed to simmer over its invasion of Ukraine.
US president Joe Biden swiftly criticised the choice on Thursday, saying: “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.”
Biden added that his administration will “pursue every possible avenue” to free Griner and one other imprisoned American, Paul Whelan.
The prosecutors had requested a jail sentence of 9 years and 6 months after Griner pleaded responsible on drug smuggling costs. Attorneys for the basketball star, who was additionally fined Rbs1mn, or about $16,000, stated they supposed to file an attraction.
“The verdict is absolutely unreasonable,” stated Griner’s defence legal professionals, Maria Blagovolina, companion at Rybalkin Gortsunyan Dyakin and Partners, and Alexander Boykov of Moscow Legal Centre. “The court completely ignored all the evidence of the defence, and most importantly, the guilty plea.”
Russia has stated it’s open to discussing additional prisoner exchanges with the US after swapping former US marine Trevor Reed for convicted drug smuggler Konstantin Yaroshchenko earlier this 12 months.
Last week, US secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in an try and safe Griner’s launch within the officers’ first dialog since president Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine in February.
The US has supplied to trade Viktor Bout, a Russian arms trafficker serving a 25-year sentence, for Griner and Whelan, who’s in jail on espionage costs, in response to an individual acquainted with the matter.
Blinken and Lavrov are in Cambodia at a gathering of Southeast Asian nations. Blinken is anticipated to attempt to speak to Lavrov there concerning Griner’s sentencing, a prime White House spokesperson stated.
“I have no doubt that if he has an opportunity to buttonhole Mr Lavrov, he will do so. And if he doesn’t, if it doesn’t just happen organically, I’m sure secretary Blinken will reach out and have that communication,” stated John Kirby, a prime spokesperson for the US National Security Council, on MSNBC on Thursday.
Police arrested Griner after claiming they discovered vaping cartridges with traces of hash oil in her baggage when she entered Russia in February, a number of weeks earlier than Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Griner advised the court docket she had introduced the medicine into the nation by mistake and had a prescription for medical marijuana to alleviate ache from sports activities accidents.
The commissioners of the NBA and WNBA, Adam Silver and Cathy Engelbert, referred to as Thursday’s verdict “unjustified and unfortunate, but not unexpected”, including that “it is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States”.
Griner’s US-based agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, stated on Twitter on Thursday that the decision proved Griner is “being used as a political pawn”. She thanked the White House and state division for his or her continued diplomatic efforts.
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Source: countryask.com