Jailed Basketball star Griner “not expecting miracles” during Russian appeal

Brittney Griner “does not anticipate miracles” at her Tuesday, October 25 appeal hearing against a nine-year Russian prison sentence for possessing cannabis oil in her baggage, her attorneys said in a statement.

The two-time Olympic gold winner was detained at a Moscow airport on February 17 with cannabis oil-containing vape cartridges, which are illegal in Russia. On August 4, she was sentenced to nine years in a prison colony for cocaine possession and smuggling.

Griner’s attorneys, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, stated that she will participate in Tuesday’s hearing via video connection from the detention center where she is being kept, and that they anticipated a judgement to be rendered on the same day.

“She is really anxious as she awaits the appeal hearing. Brittney does not anticipate a miracle, but she hopes the appeals court will consider the defense’s arguments and decrease her sentence,” they added.

At her trial, Griner pled guilty but said she had committed a “honest mistake” and had not intended to breach the law.

Keep Reading

The United States has offered to trade Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer now serving a 25-year jail sentence in the United States.

Moscow has also shown interest in a prisoner exchange.

Former US ambassador to the United Nations Bill Richardson, who visited Moscow in September, believes Griner and former US Marine Paul Whelan might be released before the end of the year. On Tuesday, a US consulate officer spoke briefly with both inmates via telephone.

Ned Price, a spokeswoman for the US Department of State, stated that Washington was attempting to liberate Griner and Whelan and that there had been “active negotiations, especially in the past several days.”

Price told reporters at a press briefing, “We have not commented on the different legal cases and judicial actions because, as we have made clear, we feel that these proceedings have been mostly chaotic.”

Jasmine C.

Mabuhay! An upcoming Newswriter for the Asian Affairs from the Pearl of the Orient - Philippines. Avid follower of celebrity gossips, fashion news. I got into writing so that my fellow Kababayan will be constantly updated with the latest news.

Recent Posts

Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024

The 2024 Vietnam International Defense Expo was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on December 19, 2024 and…

December 22, 2024

Shooting concludes: Stranger Things 5 to release on Netflix in 2025

Created by the Duffer Brothers, Stranger Things is one of the most popular sci-fi horror series globally. It is set…

December 21, 2024

China’s Hypersonic Expansion in Asia Raises Alarms for India

According to the US Department of Defense, China has now produced the most sophisticated supply of hypersonic weapons in the…

December 21, 2024

Melaka International Halal Festival 2024

The Melaka International Halal Festival 2024 aims to turn the city as the prime center of the Halal products and…

December 21, 2024

Chunichi Dragons Renews the Contract of Hiroto Takahashi with Annual Salary of 120 million yen

On Saturday, the stalwart of Chunichi Dragons Pitcher, Hiroto Takahashi attended the negotiation for his contract renewal for the next…

December 21, 2024

Biden-Harris administration cancels another $4.28 billion in US student loans

US President Joe Biden has cancelled another $4.28 billion in student loans for nearly 55,000 people across the country, the…

December 20, 2024

This website uses cookies.

Read More