Kendall Parks
Brittney Griner’s appeal has been rejected by the Moscow Regional Court. Instead, her sentence will be upheld but recalculated.
Today, the Moscow Regional Court has ruled against WNBA star Brittney Griner’s appeal, and decided to uphold her nine-year prison sentence on charges of drug possession, as reported by Politico.
However, in the ruling, the court had stated that the time Griner would be serving is to be recalculated, taking the time served in pre-detention into account. The Moscow court will count one day in pre-trial detention as 1.5 days in prison. Ultimately, Griner will have to serve about eight years in prison.
Brittney Griner Fans Outraged After 9-Year Sentencing
Griner’s fans reacted with outrage when the first sentence was passed on the WNBA basketball star.
Griner was also ordered to pay over $16,000 in fines by Judge Anna Sotnikikova.
In response, President Joe Biden released a statement in response, calling the incarceration wrong:
“Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what we already knew Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney, its unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates.”
Biden, later on, stated he is working on a deal to bring Griner and Paul Whelan back home.
“My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”
The WNBA and NBA commissioners, Cathy Englerment and Adam Silver, have also jointly released a statement on the verdict:
“Today’s verdict and sentencing is unjustified and unfortunate, but not unexpected and Brittney Griner remains wrongly detained.”
Both leagues also mentioned the fight to bring her home:
“The WNBA and NBA’s commitment to her safe return has not wavered and it is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States.”
Fans on Twitter also expressed their disappointment with the news.
One user expressed her displeasure on the sentencing: “Brittney Griner being sentenced to almost 10 years is disgusting and heartbreaking.”
Another user said, “To jail, Brittney Griner nine years over procession is wild and not justice. It’s too much, even with the admission of guilt.”
As the Phoenix Mercury star fights to come home, people are making sure their voices are heard about how the legal system in Russia is unfairly treating her.
Biden Administration Makes Trade Offer To Russia
There were high hopes for the release of Brittney Griner.
The Biden administration had made an offer in exchange for Griner’s release.
The admin team requested the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, a US citizen who was arrested on alleged espionage charges in 2018.
Additional reporting by Aevum Caelum.
