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Brittney Griner Sentenced To 9 Years In Russian Prison

Brittney Griner Sentenced To 9 Years In Russian Prison

“I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city of (Yekaterinburg) for my mistake that I made and the embarrassment that I brought on them,” Griner said in her statement. “I want to also apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back at home, the amazing women of the WNBA, and my amazing spouse back at home.”

Responding to her sentence, President Joe Biden slammed Russia for “wrongfully detaining” Griner, saying he would “pursue every possible avenue” to bring her home.

“It’s unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates,” Biden said in a statement. “My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”

Griner previously testified that she used cannabis oil prescribed by her doctor to treat pain from sports injuries, but had packed her bags in a hurry and did not mean to bring them to Russia, where she was playing in the WNBA offseason. “As they ended up in my bags by accident, I take responsibility, but I did not intend to smuggle or plan to smuggle [illegal substances] to Russia,” she had testified on July 27.

Griner also complained that her rights were not read to her when she was first arrested and that she did not receive proper translation services during the investigation.

In a letter written to Biden last month, Griner said she was “terrified” she might be held in a Russian prison forever.

“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees,” she said. “Please do all you can to bring us home.”

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