In an incredible blow, Russian courts have found Brittney Griner guilty of drug charges, including drug possession and drug smuggling, per Reuters and AJ+. The two-time Olympian and WNBA player for the Phoenix Mercury team was arrested at a Moscow airport back in February on allegations of having cannabis oil in her luggage. Little was heard publicly from Griner in the months since her arrest; she’s been held in a Russian jail and seen briefly during court appearances, including being handcuffed and placed in a cage. Griner sadly missed a pre-scheduled call with her wife on their anniversary, as apparently, no one was available at the embassy over the weekend.
Per CNN, Griner has been sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia.
There’s been a lot of talk about things we don’t know for sure. Her arrest occurred right around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, making the timing extra suspicious. Folks have also speculated her arrest could have occurred in an attempt to do a prisoner swap. We don’t know what we don’t know. We do know that prosecutors asked for more than 9 years in prison if Griner is found guilty, which she was as of Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, per NPR.
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Griner’s sentence hasn’t been released at the time of writing. Before her verdict was given, Griner did address the court and said she must have placed the vape cartridge in her luggage by mistake.
"I made an honest mistake,” Griner said. “And I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here.”
While possession of cannabis is illegal in Russia under all circumstances, Griner’s defense team stressed she does have a medical marijuana card here in the United States as a result of injuries from long-term injuries from basketball. Defense attorney Maria Blagovolin argued that Griner has actually never failed a drug test and that her small use at home doesn’t suggest an intent to sell or disperse in Russia. Her defense attorney argued for Griner to be acquitted. If not an acquittal, they asked for her to receive leniency.
“I want to also apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the WNBA, and my amazing spouse back at home,” Griner said in part, per the Huffington Post. She went on to add that she hopes “politics” and “political pawn” discourse is “far from this courtroom” and that had no “no intent” of breaking laws in Russia, and did not “conspire” or plan to commit the crime.
Why was Griner in Russia, to begin with? She plays on a Russian team there during the off-season to make more money. In spite of being one of the best athletes in contemporary sports, Griner’s WNBA salary tops her off at just over $200,000 per year, which, while more than many folks make, is laughably small compared to what players in the NBA earn. So Griner has traveled to Russia for years in order to play on their teams.
Folks have speculated that Griner’s best move, no matter what actually happened, would be to plead guilty. Why? A couple of reasons might make sense. First of all, Russia has an exceptionally high rate of finding people guilty (some say as high as 99%). Second, many people are worried Griner is essentially being held and used as a political pawn in order to orchestrate a prisoner exchange, with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout being the most popular name tossed around. Officials in Russia have said any prisoner exchange could only happen after Griner’s trial, so some think she might be trying to get it over with sooner rather than later to up those chances.
Again: We don’t know what we don’t know. But we do know Griner is an openly gay Black woman in a country that is not safe or friendly for her. We do know she could spend close to a decade in prison there. We do know this isn’t reasonable, ethical, or, frankly, safe.
We do know Griner deserves to come home.
Update: President Joe Biden released a statement on Griner’s detainment and sentence, as follows:
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. It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.