Russian justice rejected this Tuesday, October 25 the appeal of American basketball player Brittney Griner, sentenced in Russia to nine years in prison for cannabis trafficking and who asked that her “traumatic” sentence be reduced, against a backdrop of very strong tensions. between Moscow and Washington.
The court in Krasnogorsk, Moscow region, which considered the appeal, decided to ” leave unchanged the verdict handed down last August against the American basketball star, announced judge Elena Vorontsova. Only one relaxation compared to the initial sentence: each day spent in detention before her conviction by Brittney Griner, arrested in February and imprisoned since, will be counted as a day and a half and deducted from the total of the sentence to be served. ” I really hope that the court will adjust this verdict because it has been very, very stressful and very traumatic for my mental and psychological state “, had declared shortly before the American basketball star, who participates in the hearing by videoconference.
Wearing a red and black checkered shirt, Brittney Griner, 32, had expressed her sorrow at being away from her family and not being able to communicate with her. She had said ” do not understand “such a severe judgment against him” while people are getting far less than me for more serious crimes “. One of his lawyers, Alexander Boïkov, had for his part asked the court to ” consider an acquittal due to dismissal “. ” The eyes of the whole world are on this case “, underlined Me Boïkov. ” The cruelty of this judgment strikes not only the participants in the trial, but also people around the world “, he estimated.
” President Joe Biden has been very clear that Brittney must be released immediately “Reacted White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, regretting that she continues to be” wrongfully imprisoned, under unacceptable circumstances, after having to endure another bogus legal proceeding today “.
A sentence that comes in a context of crisis between Moscow and Washington
Brittney Griner was arrested last February in the Russian capital in possession of a vaporizer containing cannabis-based liquid. She admitted to having possessed this substance, however claiming to have brought it to Russia inadvertently and to use it legally in the United States as a painkiller. She had gone to Russia to play during the American offseason.
This condemnation has since taken on geopolitical significance in the context of the crisis between Moscow and Washington linked to the Russian offensive in Ukraine. Other American citizens are currently incarcerated in Russia and the United States also wants to secure their release. Washington has repeatedly declared that it has made a ” substantial offer for two Americans imprisoned in Russia, Brittney Griner and a former American soldier, Paul Whelan, to be released.
According to Russian diplomatic sources, a possible exchange of prisoners could notably concern Brittney Griner and a Russian arms trafficker detained in the United States, Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence.
► Read also: Who is Viktor Bout, the arms dealer who could be exchanged for Brittney Griner
(With AFP)