The Brittany Giner drama took a turn for the worst yesterday when a Russian judge denied an appeal to shorten her a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession.
The 32-year old Griner, an eight time All Star with the WNBA Phoenix Mercury and a two time gold medalist who may be the most skilled post player in the women’s game, was convicted Aug 4 after police said they found vape canisters containng cannabis oil inher luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.She had been in Russian custody since March
Griner appeared virtually at the hearing from her cell where she is being held near Moscow e at her hearing Tuesday. She urged the court to reassess her sentence, saying people found guilty of similar crimes were given shorter sentences of about five years– with some people being given parole with no prison sentence.
“I beg that the court takes in all of the stakes that weere overlooked in the first court and reassess my sentence here,” Griner said, apologizing for her “mistake” and saying that it was traumatic to be away from her family.
Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in July, saying that the vape cartidges containing hashais oil, which is illegal in the country, were for medial needs.
In denying her appeal, the court noted that the time Griner will have to spend behind bars will be “recalculated with the time in pre-trial detenton would be taken into accountry. Every day Griner spent in pre-trial detention will be counted as 1.5 days in prison toward her sentence, which equated toher having to spend close to eight years in prison and not nine years she was sentences. There sentence is still nearly the maximum penalty of 10 years that Russian courts are allowed to hand down in type of crimej
US National Security director Jake Sullivan reiterated in a statement following the the court’s decision calling it another “sham judicial proceeding.” and sayng the country the Biden administration is committed to secure the release of both her and Marine Paul Whelan.
But given the frosty relationship between the U.S. and Russian stemming with the Urkranian war, this is not a good time to be a political prisoner. Kremlin aide Yury Ushaov told Rossiya — a state owned TV channel– that reaching a deal is not
currntly a priority for Moscow.
