US’ Women’s National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, stands inside a defendants’ cage before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, on August 4, 2022.
Kirill Kudryavtsev | AFP | Getty Images
WASHINGTON – A Russian court on Thursday found Brittney Griner guilty on drug charges, as the U.S. government scrambles to secure the WNBA star’s release.
Her sentencing is expected later Thursday.
The 31-year-old Griner, who plays professional basketball in Russia during the WNBA offseason, was arrested in February at a Russian airport on accusations that she was smuggling vape cartridges with cannabis oil.
Under Russian law, the charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. During closing arguments, Russian prosecutors asked the court to sentence her to nine-and-a-half years in prison.
Last month, Griner pleaded guilty to the charges but said that she had unintentionally packed the cannabis canisters in her suitcase because she was in a hurry.
The court’s decision comes one week after the Biden administration confirmed it made an offer to the Russian government for the release of Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan.
“We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters last week.
The top U.S. diplomat also said he would discuss the offer with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in what would be the first known conversation between the two since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine.
“This is delicate work,” National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters during a White House press briefing. “We’ve made a proposal, and we urge the Russians to move positively on that proposal so we can get these two individuals home.”
“The details of it, I think are best left between us and our Russian counterparts,” Kirby said.
‘I’m terrified I might be here forever’
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner stands inside a defendants’ cage before a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on July 26, 2022.
Alexander Zemlianichenko | AFP | Getty Images
Days before she pleaded guilty last month, Griner penned a letter to Biden asking for his direct help with her case.
“I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” the professional athlete wrote in a July 5 letter.
“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and … other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home,” Griner wrote.
After receiving the letter, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris called the WNBA star’s wife, Cherelle Griner. Biden also wrote a response to Griner that U.S. diplomats hand delivered in Moscow.
Biden reassured her wife that he is working to secure Griner’s release as soon as possible, according to a…
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