Griner, 31, a two-time U.S. Olympian and eight-time all-star with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, listened blankly as an interpreter translated Judge Anna Sotnikova’s verdict. The judge also imposed a fine of 1 million rubles (about $16,000). “I never intended to harm anyone to endanger the Russian population or violate any Russian law. I made an honest mistake and I hope your decision does not end my life here,” Griner told the court earlier Thursday. apologizing to her family, teammates, fans and the Russian people. U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, stands inside a defendant’s cage before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia, August 4, 2022. EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA / REUTERS “I know everyone keeps talking about political pawns and politics, but I hope that’s a long way from this courtroom… I hope you’ll consider all the documents, all the character lists that everyone has sent on my behalf… This is my second home and all I wanted to do was win championships and make them proud,” he said. US President Joe Biden denounced the verdict and sentence as “unacceptable”. “I’m calling on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates,” Biden said, adding that he would continue to work to bring Griner and Paul home. Whelan, an American jailed in Russia on espionage charges. As Griner walked out of court after the verdict, she told reporters, “I love my family.” Her lawyers said she was very upset, stressed and unable to speak. Earlier in the hearing, with a conviction, an emotional Griner made a final plea to the court for leniency. He said he had no intention of breaking the law by bringing cannabis oil vapor cartridges when he flew to Moscow in February to play basketball in the city of Yekaterinburg. “I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city (of Yekaterinburg) for the mistake I made and the embarrassment I caused them,” Griner said, her voice breaking. “I also want to apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back home, the amazing women of the WNBA and my amazing husband back home.” Under Russian law, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison, but judges have wide discretion in sentencing. If she is not released, attention will turn to the possibility of a high-risk prisoner swap suggested last week by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to his Russian counterpart. Griner said Yekaterinburg, a city east of the Urals, had become her “second home”. “I had no idea that the team, the cities, the fans, my teammates would make such an impression on me in my 6 1/2 years here,” he said. “I vividly remember walking out of the gym and all the little girls in the stands there waiting for me, and that’s what made me come back here.” Prosecutor Nikolai Vlasenko insisted that Griner packaged the hemp oil intentionally and asked the court to fine Briner 1 million rubles (about $16,700) in addition to the prison sentence. Lawyers for the Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist tried to bolster Griner’s claim that she had no criminal intent and that the canisters ended up in her luggage by accident. They presented character witnesses from the Yekaterinburg team she plays for in the WNBA offseason and written testimony from a doctor who said he prescribed cannabis to treat pain from injuries sustained in her basketball career. Her attorney, Maria Blagovolina, argued that Griner only used cannabis in Arizona, where medical marijuana is legal. He pointed out that Griner was rushing to get ready after a grueling flight and suffering from the effects of COVID-19. Blagovolina also pointed out that the analysis of the cannabis found in Griner’s possession was incorrect and violated legal procedures. Blagovolina asked the court to acquit Griner, noting that she had no previous criminal record and hailing her role in the “development of Russian basketball.” Another defense attorney, Alexander Boykov, emphasized Griner’s role in taking her Yekaterinburg team to multiple championships, noting that she was loved and admired by her teammates. He told the judge that a conviction would undermine Russia’s efforts to develop national sports and would undermine Moscow’s call to depoliticize sports. Boykov added that even after her arrest, Griner won the sympathy of both her guards and the prison’s inmates, who supported her by shouting, “Brittney, it’s going to be okay!” when he took prison walks. Before her trial began in July, the State Department designated her as “unreasonably detained,” moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator. Then last week, in an extraordinary move, Blinken spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, urging him to accept a deal that would see Griner and Whelan released. The Lavrov-Blinken call marked the highest known contact between Washington and Moscow since Russia sent troops to Ukraine more than five months ago. Griner’s direct approach runs counter to US efforts to isolate the Kremlin. People familiar with the proposal say it calls for an exchange of Griner and Whelan for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is serving a prison sentence in the United States. It underscores the public pressure the White House has faced to free Griner. White House Press Secretary Karin Jean-Pierre said Monday that Russia responded “in bad faith” to the US government’s offer, a counteroffer that US officials do not take seriously. She declined to provide further details. Russian officials have derided US statements on the case, saying they show disrespect for Russian law. They remained poker-faced, urging Washington to discuss the issue through “quiet diplomacy without disclosure of speculative information.” In a handwritten letter from Griner delivered to the White House last month, the WNBA player wrote how terrified she is that she could be imprisoned in Russia “forever.” Griner’s wife, Sherrell, told “CBS Mornings” that when she read the letter, she felt the fear Griner was experiencing. “She’s probably the strongest person I know, so she doesn’t say things like that incessantly. That means she’s really terrified that she might never see us again. You know, I share the same feelings,” Cherelle said.
