Our American basketball player, Brittney Griner, has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in Russia.
However, she maintains that she did not intentionally break the law.
In court, Griner said, “I would like to plead guilty, your honor.”
She continued, “But there was no intention. I didn’t mean to break the law.
Could face up to 10 years in prison
Griner’s next court date is July 14.
According to Russian law, if convicted, Griner can spend five to ten years in prison.
By pleading guilty, Alexander Boykov, Griner’s lawyer, hopes for a more lenient sentence.
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star was arrested in Moscow on February 17.
Since then, continuous efforts have been made to secure his release.
On May 29, the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) called on President Biden to intervene. They tweeted: “There is so much grief and suffering in our country right now. @POTUSplease use all available resources to obtain #BrittneyGriner residence”
There is so much grief and pain in our country right now. @POTUSplease use all available resources to obtain #BrittneyGriner residence. We need something to rally around and build on. Visit https://t.co/Ewtjzam4BW to learn more and take action. #WeAreBG 🧵1/6 pic.twitter.com/vNTO48LJIq
— WNBPA (@TheWNBPA) May 28, 2022
Russia’s Federal Customs Service released a video on March 5 claiming they detained Griner after finding vape cartridges containing hash oil in his checked luggage.
Russia’s Federal Customs Service released this video in which airport security is seen searching the luggage of a passenger identified as Brittney Griner. pic.twitter.com/gHJ8XoMYvF
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) March 5, 2022
According to the Russian customs service, drug-sniffing dogs alerted them to the presence of a banned substance and a subsequent search uncovered the vape cartridges.
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