A Russian courtroom has discovered U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner responsible of drug smuggling and sentenced her to 9 years in jail, a punishment that sparked anger from teammates and athletes all over the world and which U.S. President Joe Biden referred to as “unacceptable.”

A handcuffed Griner, a two-time Olympic champion, was led out of the courtroom within the Moscow suburb of Khimki on August 4 after Choose Anna Sotnikova handed down the sentence, which additionally features a high-quality of 1 million rubles ($16,300). Griner has 10 days to attraction the ruling, which her legal professionals stated they might do.

Although a remorseful Griner took duty for what she referred to as in her remaining assertion “an trustworthy mistake” by packing vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage, prosecutors requested that the courtroom sentence her to 9 1/2 years in jail. The utmost sentence allowed beneath Russian legislation is 10 years.

Throughout her remaining assertion, Griner made an emotional apology to her household, teammates and the Russian metropolis of Yekaterinburg, the place she performs within the low season of the Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball Affiliation (WNBA), “for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I introduced on them.”

Along with her voice cracking, she added: “I hope in your ruling it doesn’t finish my life.”

“I really like my household,” the 31-year-old stated quietly to reporters as she was being led away.

Hashish is illegitimate in Russia for each medicinal and leisure functions.

Griner, an eight-time all-star acknowledged as one of many biggest gamers within the historical past of the WNBA, has been detained since February 17 after police stated they discovered vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her baggage upon touchdown at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. She was returning to Russia, the place she has competed since 2014.

Her detention was made public solely after Russian troops moved into Ukraine, as relations between Russia and the USA hit new lows after Washington led the West in bringing sanctions in opposition to Moscow.

In a uncommon transfer, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a assertion minutes after the sentence was introduced, saying the case was “yet another reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney.”

“It’s unacceptable, and I name on Russia to launch her instantly so she may be together with her spouse, family members, mates, and teammates,” the assertion stated.

White Home spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre stated later that Russia ought to settle for a U.S. provide for the discharge of Griner and one other American imprisoned in Russia.

“We’ve made a considerable provide to carry her and Paul Whelan house. We urge Russia to simply accept that proposal,” stated Jean-Pierre.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Overseas Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by cellphone on July 29 to debate the proposal, which Blinken stated concerned Griner and Whelan in a prisoner swap. Information experiences quoting U.S. sources have stated that the Russian swapped for the 2 could be jailed arms vendor Viktor Bout.

Outdoors the courtroom, Griner’s legal professionals promised an attraction could be filed with the courtroom, including that among the case recordsdata had been drawn up in violation of the legislation.

“The courtroom has fully ignored the protection’s arguments and the defendant’s request for forgiveness. Contemplating all that, we view the penalty time period assigned by the courtroom as completely unjustified. We’ll file an attraction,” one in all Griner’s legal professionals, Maria Blagovolina, stated.

The case comes throughout probably the most strained U.S.-Russian relations for the reason that 1962 Cuban missile disaster and has put Biden beneath stress to intervene on behalf of People detained in Russia, together with Griner and Whelan. The U.S. authorities has deemed each of them to have been “wrongfully detained.”

“My administration will proceed to work tirelessly and pursue each potential avenue to carry Brittney and Paul Whelan house safely as quickly as potential,” Biden’s assertion after the sentence added.

Detained en route to hitch her Russian staff, UMMC Ekaterinburg, after a short journey house to the USA, Griner had pleaded responsible to the cost of being in possession of the cannabis-oil cartridges, saying she should have unintentionally packed them whereas dashing to the airport for her flight to Russia.

Griner’s WNBA staff, the Phoenix Mercury, was scheduled to play a recreation in a while August 4. It referred to as the decision a “sobering milestone” in Griner’s “nightmare,” whereas the league, in a joint assertion with the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation, stated the ruling was “unjustified and unlucky.”

A conviction is often a prerequisite to arranging a prisoner alternate and likewise permits Griner to use for a pardon from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

With reporting by CNN and Reuters