Brittney Griner

Griner, 31, admitted possessing cannabis oil but told the court she made an "honest mistake". But the court convicted her of smuggling and possessing narcotics, ...

"It's a serious proposal. When we saw Brittney on Tuesday, we told her, 'See you on Thursday'. She said, 'See you on doomsday'. So it looks like she was right." We urge them to accept it. Griner also said she had received neither an explanation of her rights nor access to a lawyer in the initial hours of her detention, and that she had to use a translation app on her phone to communicate. "She can hardly talk. She had come to Russia to play club basketball during the US off-season.

Brittney Griner has been found guilty of drug possession and smuggling and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison, an expected conclusion to her ...

He came home this April after the countries agreed to a prisoner swap that American officials sought when Reed was reported to be in poor health. Griner's agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas tweeted that the sentence "was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn." I never meant to break any laws here," she said. "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. "But I had no intent to break any Russian laws." "I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population. Under Russian law, Griner has 10 days to appeal, and her lawyers said they expect a hearing in Moscow regional court next week. But she and her supporters have also been aware that Russia was not going to move forward with a trade that could bring her home until her trial was completed. I understand everything that's being said against me, the charges that are against me, and that is why I pled guilty," Griner said, addressing the judge through an interpreter from her defendant's cage. Defense attorney Maria Blagovolina told reporters later that Griner was "very upset, very stressed. It's a difficult time for her."

Joe Biden calls the sentence against the WNBA star, who was arrested at a Moscow airport in February, 'unacceptable'.

“I still don’t understand to this day how they ended up in my bag,” she told the court on July 27. She apologised to her family, teammates, and her spouse. Blinken said on Thursday the sentence against Griner “further compounds the injustice of her wrongful detention”, promising to continue to push to bring her “home”. “Taking into account the amount of the substance – not to mention the defects of the expertise – and the plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable,” her defence team said in a statement. “I never meant to hurt anybody, I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never intended to break Russian law,” Griner said through a translator while standing in the metal cage reserved for defendants in Russian courtrooms. Sotnikova had said on Thursday that Griner committed the crime “deliberately”. But Griner had testified during the trial it was a mistake.

MOSCOW — A Russian court has found Brittney Griner guilty on drug smuggling and possession charges. The widely expected verdict comes after a monthlong ...

You may click on “Your Choices” below to learn about and use cookie management tools to limit use of cookies when you visit NPR’s sites. If you click “Agree and Continue” below, you acknowledge that your cookie choices in those tools will be respected and that you otherwise agree to the use of cookies on NPR’s sites. NPR’s sites use cookies, similar tracking and storage technologies, and information about the device you use to access our sites (together, “cookies”) to enhance your viewing, listening and user experience, personalize content, personalize messages from NPR’s sponsors, provide social media features, and analyze NPR’s traffic.

The ruling came nearly six months after Griner was detained. Russia has indicated that any potential deal or prisoner swap to secure her release would have ...

The effort to free Griner has grown from her fans and fellow basketball players to include a much broader circle. said defense counsel Maria Blagovolina. "It shows that Brittney Griner used marijuana only at home and only in very small doses and that she had no intention to bring the substance into Russia." Griner is a star center for the Phoenix Mercury. But like many WNBA players, she plays in overseas leagues during the U.S. league's offseason, earning far more than her WNBA salary. The Olympian and NBA champion says she must have put the cannabis in her bag by mistake. "It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates," he added. But personal cannabis possession is illegal under any circumstances in Russia, similar to U.S. federal law. The judge sentenced Griner to nine years in prison. The 31-year-old also spoke on her own behalf. MOSCOW — A Russian court has found Brittney Griner guilty on drug smuggling and possession charges. In their closing arguments, Griner's defense attorneys cited Griner's contributions to the growth of Russian women's basketball and detailed irregularities in her arrest and detention — including a lack of access to qualified translators — in arguing for Griner's acquittal or at least a lenient sentence. " Her charges carried up to 10 years, and the Russian prosecution had requested a sentence of nine years and six months in a penal colony.

The W.N.B.A. star was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony, but her supporters insist they will do “whatever we can to get her home.”

The tense relationship between the United States and Russia has not eased in the months since Griner’s detention. She said the W.N.B.A. players’ public statements were “giving them a nod and saying they appreciated what they did.” She added: “I am asking that in honor of all our great experiences competing in Russia and around the world, out of love and humanity, that you show her mercy and understanding. “There’s no impetus for Russia to do anything immediately.” She said her initial excitement over a possible prisoner swap for Griner dissipated after Thursday’s verdict. I’d like to thank you for reading The Times and encourage you to support journalism like this by becoming a subscriber. Doing so will give you access to the work of over 1,700 journalists whose mission is to cover the world and make sure you have accurate and impartial information on the most important topics of the day. In both the United States and Russia, Griner’s teammates and coaches have offered their support. Griner has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17 when Russian customs officials at an airport near Moscow said they had found hashish oil, a cannabis derivative, in a vape pen in her luggage. After U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken publicly said that the United States had offered Russia a deal, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, told reporters that prisoner swaps were negotiated quietly. Whelan was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison. Last week, the U.S. State Department said it had made a “ substantial” offer to the Russian government for Griner and Paul N. Whelan, an American who has been detained in Russia since 2018.

Brittney Griner says she made "an honest mistake" and asked for leniency at the close of her drug-smuggling trial, with a verdict expected to for Thursday.

I had no intent. "I never meant to hurt anybody, I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never meant to break any laws here," Griner, 31, said in the Khimki city courthouse. Brittney Griner says she made "an honest mistake" and asked for leniency at the close of her drug-smuggling trial, with a verdict expected to for Thursday.

WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested in Moscow in February after vape cartridges with cannabis oil were found in her luggage.

Russian media have speculated repeatedly that Griner could be swapped for Bout, nicknamed 'the Merchant of Death', who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US after being convicted of conspiracy to kill US citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organisation. On July 27, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home Griner and Whelan in a sharp reversal of previous policy. Her lawyers introduced evidence that Griner was using the medicinal cannabis for chronic pain and injuries sustained during her career and included a letter from her doctor. She was the No 1 pick by Phoenix in the 2013 draft. ... It is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home." Her plight has been highlighted by supporters at home, including top athletes, especially after little news emerged about her initial weeks of detention in Russia, where she had limited access to US diplomats. The US State Department had earlier declared Griner to be "wrongfully detained" - a charge that Russia has sharply rejected. She also said she was not informed of her rights. Griner has 10 days to appeal, and her lawyers say they expect a hearing in Moscow regional court next week. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month the "necessary judicial procedures" must be completed before other steps can be taken. Defence attorney Maria Blagovolina told reporters later that Griner was "very upset, very stressed. It's a difficult time for her".

KHIMKI, Russia (AP) — U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted Thursday in Russia of drug possession and smuggling and was sentenced to nine years ...

Russian media have speculated repeatedly that Griner could be swapped for Bout, nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. after being convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization. The game was to be preceded by a 42-second moment of silence — 42 is Griner’s number. Griner testified she was aware cannabis oil was outlawed in Russia and had not intended to break the law or “plan to smuggle anything into Russia.” On July 27, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home Griner and Whelan in a sharp reversal of previous policy. She was the No. 1 pick by Phoenix in the 2013 draft. Her plight has been highlighted by supporters at home, including top athletes, especially after little news emerged about her initial weeks of detention in Russia, where she had limited access to U.S. diplomats. The U.S. State Department had earlier declared Griner to be “wrongfully detained” — a charge that Russia has sharply rejected. She also said she was not informed of her rights. When she took the stand July 7, Griner said: “I would like to plead guilty on the charges against me. Griner has 10 days to appeal, and her lawyers say they expect a hearing in Moscow regional court next week. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said last month the “necessary judicial procedures” must be completed before other steps can be taken. Most Russians possessing small quantities of drugs get at most five years in prison, lawyers said.

Griner's allies remain hopeful President Joe Biden will secure a prisoner swap, much like he did earlier this year with another Texan, ex-Marine Trevor ...

Griner was a star on the Baylor University Lady Bears basketball team from 2009-13. See the growing speaker list and buy tickets. Griner apologized during Thursday’s proceedings, saying she accidentally rushed her packing to play professional basketball in Russia and “had no intent to break Russian law.” Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. But there are also specific concerns about the treatment of Griner, who is gay, in a country known for homophobic persecution. “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,” he said.

WNBA star Brittney Griner has been sentenced to nine years in Russian prison in a sentence that US President Joe Biden has deemed "unacceptable", ...

"The punishment is to be served in general regime penal colony. We urge them to accept it. "It's a serious proposal. The United States has already made what Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a "substantial offer" to secure the release of Americans detained in Russia, including Griner and former marine Paul Whelan. The fine has to be paid directly to the banking details named in the verdict." Griner had travelled to Russia to play in the Russian Premier League during the WNBA's off-season when she was accused of having the vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner, the Phoenix Mercury star, was convicted on drug charges in Russia. Hours later, her teammates had a game. “Nobody even wanted to play today ...

In May, the U.S. State Department said that it had determined that Griner was “wrongfully detained” and that its officials would work to free her. The Mercury lost the game, 77-64, with an 18-0 Sun run in the third and fourth quarters that put the game out of reach. “We’ll wake up tomorrow, and B.G. will still be in a Russian jail,” Nygaard said. Mercury players donned the “We are BG” shirts in pregame warm-ups, as did the Connecticut coaching staff and several Sun players. “It was like, ‘Dang, we did that, and now I got to go play basketball; my friend is still locked up overseas,’” Jones said. Fans chanted “We are B.G.” and “Bring her home.” They watched with tear-filled eyes as Griner fought through her own tears and pleaded with a Russian court not to “end her life” for an “honest mistake.” Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony and fined 1 million rubles, or about $16,000. So to see it happen to one of my teammates and be so close to it and understand that it could’ve been me, it puts it into perspective.” How are we even supposed to approach the game and approach the court with a clear mind when the whole group is crying before the game?” “It was like you’re waiting for a bomb to drop,” Mercury guard Diamond DeShields said. Griner has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17 after customs officials said they found hashish oil, a cannabis derivative, in Griner’s luggage at an airport near Moscow when she was traveling to the country to play for UMMC Yekaterinburg, a professional women’s basketball team. The most atypical moment of the night for Nygaard happened moments before tipoff, as the lights dimmed and players, coaches and referees locked arms in solidarity for 42 seconds — matching the number of Griner’s jersey.

The US and Russia have indicated they are ready to hold talks over a prisoner swap, a day after basketball star Brittney Griner was convicted of drug ...

Earlier Friday, a US State Department official told reporters there had been no "serious response" from Russia on a proposed swap. Prior to the verdict on Thursday, Griner apologized to the court and asked for leniency in an emotional speech. And we'll be pursuing that," Blinken told reporters at a press briefing.

A Russian court found Brittney Griner guilty on drug smuggling and possession charges. She was sentenced to more than nine years in prison.

The White House has urged Russia to accept its offer of a deal for the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

That means she truly is terrified that she may never see us again. You know, I share those same sentiments," Cherelle said. Blinken has said Washington put forward a "substantial proposal" for the exchange of Griner and Whelan. In a handwritten letter from Griner that was delivered to the White House last month, the WNBA player wrote how terrified she is that she may be imprisoned in Russia "forever." The White House has urged Russia to accept its offer of a deal for the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. Russia said Friday it was "ready to discuss" a prisoner swap with Washington at the presidential level, a day after the drug conviction of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner.

Brittney Griner, who was in Russia to play for a local team during the WNBA off-season, was detained over vape carriages containing cannabis oil in her ...

The weapons: Ukraine is making use of weapons such as Javelin antitank missiles and Switchblade “kamikaze” drones, provided by the United States and other allies. Russia has used an array of weapons against Ukraine, some of which have drawn the attention and concern of analysts. Russia appears set to resume ground offensives, with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu telling troops on Saturday to intensify attacks “in all operational sectors” of Ukraine.

After Griner received nine-year prison sentence on drug charges, Sergei Lavrov warns Russia won't tolerate 'megaphone diplomacy'

“These swaps will never happen if we start discussing any nuances of the exchange in the press,” he told reporters on Friday. “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. But Lavrov also warned that Russia would not respond to “megaphone diplomacy”, demanding that any negotiations be carried out discreetly.

The Kremlin said Friday that it's open to talking about a possible prisoner exchange involving American basketball star Brittney Griner but strongly warned ...

He said: "If we discuss any nuances related to the issue of exchange via media, no exchange will ever take place." Griner was arrested as she was returning to play for a team in Russia, where she has competed since 2014. "The Americans often have trouble observing agreements on calm and professional work." "We were separated by just one person at the discussion table, but I didn't feel his desire to catch me. The politically charged case comes amid high tensions between Moscow and Washington over Russia's military action in Ukraine. "If the Americans again try to engage in public diplomacy and make loud statements about their intention to take certain steps, it's their business, I would even say their problem," Lavrov said.

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 ...

“It makes me sick that that was the decision,” Jackson said. Doing so will give you access to the work of over 1,700 journalists whose mission is to cover the world and make sure you have accurate and impartial information on the most important topics of the day. I’d like to thank you for reading The Times and encourage you to support journalism like this by becoming a subscriber. On Aug. 4, she was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony. Dijonai Carrington of the Connecticut Sun tweeted “praying so hard for BG.” “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. Debbie Jackson, Griner’s high school basketball coach, held back tears after learning of Griner’s verdict. Her trial began on July 1 and the conviction had been widely expected. In February, Russian authorities detained Brittney Griner, an American basketball player, on drug charges, after she was stopped at an airport near Moscow. Since then, her detention has been repeatedly extended. Griner has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17, when Russian customs officials at an airport near Moscow said they found hashish oil in vape cartridges in her luggage. Ms. Griner’s trial began on July 1; she pleaded guilty. 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.

There are Americans who've been wrongfully detained or held hostage overseas for as much as a decade, and many for five years or more. It's not that the two ...

But the other dozens of hostages and wrongful detainees are not household names, and had not gotten the kind of attention that Brittney Griner’s case has now brought to all of these other cases — and the unjust treatment that American citizens are currently facing abroad. In the interview, Mickey talks about what went down in a prisoner swap negotiation with an American who was imprisoned in Iran. When a US citizen receives this designation, it means that the US government is committed to intervening on their behalf. The 2015 Iran deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was the Obama administration’s deal to lift sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on their nuclear program, also included a prisoner swap. The fact that they have telegraphed that they want prisoners exchanged for her and Paul Whelan’s release, indicates to me that this is a hostage taking, which is when someone holds a prisoner with the threat to continue holding that person until certain conditions are met. Brittney Griner was designated as wrongfully detained in May, and “wrongfully detained” is an official State Department designation, which means that the secretary of state has looked at her case and has determined that there’s something illegitimate about her arrest and her trial. There’s also a domestic political risk, which is that there can be real divisions among the American public about what kinds of victims deserve government assistance. But they are thinking about all of the different foreign policy interests they have, and how to get the best bargain that they can. There’s also a long-term problem with making prisoner swaps or concessions, which is the fear or the risk that it incentivizes future arrests, just like this one. The US State Department has been attempting to negotiate for her release, possibly through a prisoner swap, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sentencing “further compounds the injustice of her wrongful detention.” So anytime that there’s one of these prisoner swaps, it’s with a US adversary,” Gilbert said. It’s not that the two sides are sitting down across the table from each other every day and finding it impossible to negotiate.

The White House has urged Russia to accept its offer of a deal for the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.

That means she truly is terrified that she may never see us again. You know, I share those same sentiments," Cherelle Griner said. Blinken has said Washington put forward a "substantial proposal" for the exchange of Griner and Whelan. Russia said Friday it was "ready to discuss" a prisoner swap with Washington at the presidential level, a day after the drug conviction of U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner. The White House has urged Russia to accept its offer of a deal for the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges. "We are ready to discuss this subject, but only within the framework of the (communication) channel established by presidents Putin and Biden," Lavrov told a press conference on a visit to Cambodia.

WNBA star Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony and fined by a Russian court on Thursday on charges of smuggling drugs with ...

The Associated Press reported Friday the Kremlin said it’s open to talking about a possible prisoner exchange involving Griner. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but maintains his innocence. ... We must exhaust every option to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home.” The Mercury star was arrested at an airport near Moscow in February and accused of having hashish oil in her luggage. I truly believe we need to do whatever is necessary to bring our American citizens home. “We knew it was going to happen that way, so I wasn’t heartbroken … I do believe people are working on her behalf to bring her home.

Brittney Griner's fate could depend on a man imprisoned thousands of kilometres away — an international arms dealer dubbed the "Merchant of Death" who could ...

Why should we keep him in our jails and pay for the cost of that? "He provided sort of a one-stop shopping network. "And so the Russians have a lot of leverage here, they have a lot of power, they are going to want to milk this situation for everything they've got." "It might be useful to convince or persuade some faction in the Russian government to take the deal or to put someone in a corner in terms of the negotiation," Dr Gilbert said. Born in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan, he speaks at least six languages and attended a military languages school known to be a "feeder" to Russian intelligence services. Two years later he was extradited to the US, where he was found guilty of conspiring to sell millions of dollars' worth of weapons to a terrorist organisation to be used to kill Americans in Columbia.

In pleading guilty to charges of illegal drug possession and smuggling, American basketball star Brittney Griner was bowing to the reality that, ...

In that sense, swapping Mr. Bout for Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan is troubling because it implies equivalence between their bogus or exaggerated offenses and the Russian’s real ones. The risk is that if Ms. Griner and Mr. Whelan are essentially Mr. Putin’s hostages, which they are, then trading for them simply encourages him to engage in more hostage-taking. The practical question that remains is how to obtain freedom for wrongfully detained Americans at the minimum price, politically and ethically. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has publicly told Moscow the United States would be willing to negotiate for her release, an offer that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accepted Friday. In private, U.S. officials have floated a deal in which the Russians would send home Ms. Griner and another wrongfully detained American, Paul Whelan, in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian with ties to that country’s intelligence apparatus, who is doing time in federal prison and who trafficked weapons. But those deals have happened, too: In 2020, the Trump administration approved Oman’s release of nearly 300 Yemeni Houthi rebels in return for two Americans being held hostage by that Iranian-backed group. In pleading guilty to charges of illegal drug possession and smuggling, American basketball star Brittney Griner was bowing to the reality that, in Russian courts, victory for the prosecution is a foregone conclusion.

U.S. officials and analysts had been resigned to a guilty verdict for Ms. Griner, a basketball star who plays for a Russian team during the W.N.B.A. off-season.

But the cold reality of her sentence on a drug charge was a shock and renewed calls for Mr. Biden to secure her release — even as critics fumed that offering to swap prisoners with Moscow rewards Russian hostage-taking. And this just puts a target on the back of every American out there.” And former President Donald J. Trump, who when in office prided himself on freeing detained Americans abroad, slammed the proposed deal in crude terms. Her wife, Cherelle Griner, has made public pleas for Mr. Biden to cut a deal with Mr. Putin as soon as possible. The White House would not say how Mr. Biden might achieve that goal, however. It’s about simultaneously raising the pain for him.” He could seek new ways to make Mr. Putin suffer. “We think it’s important for their families to know how hard we’re working on this.” That was before Mr. Biden’s proposal to free Mr. Bout became public. On Aug. 4, she was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in a penal colony. On Friday, Mr. Lavrov told reporters that the two nations would continue discussing the issue through established channels. But it appeared to leave the Kremlin unmoved.

Now that Brittney Griner has been convicted of drug possession and sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison, could a prisoner swap bring her home?

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the Russian government had responded in a “bad faith” manner with an offer that U.S. officials did not regard as serious. At the time of his conviction, the group was classified by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization, though that designation was lifted last year. Griner is the most prominent American detained by a foreign country. It’s hard to say, but the contact between Blinken and Lavrov does suggest more progress than has been made before. And the formal end of the court case could be the opening both sides need to forge a diplomatic resolution, too. In many ways, yes — and a recent one, too. That’s what made Blinken’s announcement from the State Department briefing room all the more striking. She said getting a deal done for Griner and Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive imprisoned on an espionage conviction he and his family says is baseless, may be difficult but it is “urgent” and the “right thing to do.” The U.S. government also regards Whelan as wrongfully convicted. He has adamantly maintained his innocence. Blinken did not provide details after his call with Lavrov about his response. Minimal, at least in public. Secretary of State Antony Blinken went public with that possibility last week, revealing in an unusual announcement that the U.S. had made a “substantial proposal” aimed at securing the release of Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan.

Tomi Lahren, the conservative media commentator has been tough on WNBA star Brittney Griner on twitter after she got sentenced to nine years in Russian ...

, and she doubled down by saying that this was a win for Griner. And as soon as the news of Griner's sentence was known, Tomi Lahren tweeted that her situation was a "cautionary tale" while saying that if Griner thought that the United States of America was "oppressive" she's now finding out what "No justice looks like", while also using sarcasm as a grinding tool she also mentioned it was "too bad too sad". After Brittney Griner gave a heartfelt plea in court she was sentenced to nine years in prison after she pleaded guilty to drug possession in July. She was initially detained in February of this year when she entered the country and the airport officials found an electronic vaporizer pen with less than one gram of cannabis oil.