Brittney Griner found guilty, sentenced to 9 Years in Russian Prison
On Thursday, August 4, 2022, a court in the Moscow region declared Brittney Griner, the WNBA star who has been imprisoned in Russia for more than five months, guilty of narcotics charges.
The judge found Griner guilty of smuggling and keeping illegal substances in his possession, and he was given a nine-year prison term.
Brittney Griner found guilty, sentenced to 9 Years in Russian Prison
The conviction, which fell just short of the ten-year maximum term, was deemed “totally unreasonable” by Griner’s attorneys, who also announced that they will “definitely file an appeal.”
Brittney Griner is escorted into a courtroom before a hearing, in Khimki, Russia, on Aug. 4, 2022.
Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
About an hour after Griner’s attorneys and the prosecution wrapped up their closing statements on Thursday, a Russian judge announced the conviction.
The Phoenix Mercury singer pleaded guilty to smuggling less than 1 gram of cannabis oil into Russia, but she insisted that she did it “inadvertently” and pleaded with the judge for leniency in an impassioned address.
Additionally, the prosecution demanded that Griner pay a fine of 1 million roubles ($16,600).
