Russian Prosecutors Seek 9 Years Sentence For WNBA Star Britney Griner

Britney Griner a United States citizen who was charged in Russia for drug-related offences could be handed a 9.5 years imprisonment by the Russian court if the plea by her prosecutors is accepted, the AFP reported.

Griner, 31 who plays in the US women’s basketball league, the WNBA for the Phoenix Mercury, flew to Russia to play off-season basketball for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team before she ran into a problem at the airport when a substance, cannabis weighing 0.702 gram was found in her luggage.

Despite her pleading guilty in July for carrying the drugs without knowing, the prosecutor’s called for a tough sentence for Griner, as well as a fine of 1 million rubles ($16,590).

She also testified that she uses the drug for chronic pain in the United States.
The Washington post reported that a member of Griner’s legal team, Alexander Boikov, told the judge that Griner deserved to be acquitted despite her guilty plea, saying the prosecution had failed to prove criminal intent. In addition, he said, her rights were breached during the investigation and legal process.
The judge would be handing down the sentence by Thursday evening, Russian time and this is taking place amid calls for prisoners swap between Russia and the United States.

John Adoyi, PBA Journalism Mentee

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