WNBA Player Brittney Griner detained in Russia for drug paraphernalia
- Thread starter World B Free
- Start date
Hindsight-ass ninja!
I know NOW! We’ve done dumb shit thinking it wasn’t that dumb.
What if she does do the whole 9 years?
Then 2031 couldn't get here soon enough...
For her.
Wow dude for real?
Oh calm down it's just jokes. Don't worry, Dr. Death as well as several Russian rapists and murders will be swapped for her in no time.
And they'll be at every one of Brittany's games wearing these
and cheering the loudest.
Think she'll get a "Locked Up Abroad" episode out of this?Oh calm down it's just jokes. Don't worry, Dr. Death as well as several Russian rapists and murders will be swapped for her in no time.
And they'll be at every one of Brittany's games wearing these
and cheering the loudest.
As a warning to all Americans YES!
Facts!
We'll give you your female basketball player with .07 grams of CBD oil unlawfully detained in our with trumped up bullshit charges of trafficking instead of possession (if she was a Russian citizen who did this she would be looking at a charge of possession and a large fine in rubles but very affordable for BG). And a Harmless 51 year old middle aged non violent white man
In exchange for our notorious arms dealer who sold over $100 million worth of weapons to militias, paramilitaries, war criminals all around the world
lmao....straight politically motivated bullshit
so apparently part of the process for the prisoner exchange is a conviction and sentencing..
10 day appeal process is next...negotiations will happen in the meantime, swap could happen within weeks....but the longer they drag this shit on is the more it will hurt the current administration which is what they'll probably do until the white nationalist party possibly wins the next election and they can play hero by getting her out if they want to....Russia has all the cards.
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Oh calm down it's just jokes. Don't worry, Dr. Death as well as several Russian rapists and murders will be swapped for her in no time.
And they'll be at every one of Brittany's games wearing these
and cheering the loudest.
Yeah bro YOU joking
Most of these dudes ain't.
How's her being over longer hurting the current administration?
Trump said she can rot because she's smuggling lots of drugs.
Russia doesn't fuck with us and the US isn't going to war over a person with a half ounce of weed.
Like you said, Russia holds all the cards and we'll just have to wait it out.
I want her free but their laws are their laws. I don't see them as making an example of her because she got the time that her crime stipulates.
Now if only the Americans who get caught there get that kind of serious time then that's an issue. I don't know of any Russians weed convictions so I can't comment on if her sentence was wrong or not. I just know based off of their laws I knew what to expect.
That is 100% correct period end of story
but here is my counter.
DO we BELEIVE Russia?
We TRUSTING Russia now?
Did she REALLY have drugs with her?
Was it really that amount?
also make note
the Russians COULD NOT negotiate publicly because it would be a an international law issue.
(which is why they released that statement.
but we KNOW from the first day that is EXACTLY what they were doing.
So again why we TRUSTING them?
She admitted to having the drugs and her doctor stated that it was for pain.
Brittney Griner sentenced to nine years in Russian prison
A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, an expected conclusion to her trial that should allow negotiations for a prisoner swap to accelerate.
Griner, who was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country, had been prepared for a harsh sentence, sources close to the player said. But she and her supporters have also been aware that Russia was not going to move forward with a trade that could bring her home until her trial was completed. A guilty verdict was considered a foregone conclusion, and Griner pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.
During sentencing, Judge Anna Sotnikova said she had found that Griner intentionally broke the law and also fined her 1 million rubles (about $16,700). Sotnikova said the time Griner has served in custody since her arrest in February would count toward the sentence.
Griner reacted to the sentence with little emotion, listening to the verdict with a blank stare on her face.
The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years that Griner had faced under the charges, and prosecutors had asked for a 9½-year sentence.
Griner's defense lawyers said they would appeal. The defense team said that in sentencing the court had ignored all evidence it had presented and Griner's guilty plea.
Defense attorney Maria Blagovolina told reporters later that Griner was "very upset, very stressed. She can hardly talk. It's a difficult time for her."
Under Russian law, Griner has 10 days to appeal, and her lawyers said they expect a hearing in Moscow regional court next week. Asked if Griner could ask for pardon from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Blagovolina said they would consider every possibility, but the lawyers said they were not part of any discussions about a prisoner swap.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on the verdict that referred to Griner as wrongfully detained -- a designation U.S. officials have used since May -- and called for her release.
"Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney," Biden said. "It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates."
Outside the court, the U.S. Embassy's chargé d'affaires Elizabeth Rood called the verdict "a miscarriage of justice."
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in a joint statement, called Thursday's verdict and sentencing "unjustified and unfortunate," while Griner's WNBA team, also tweeted a statement of support.
"The WNBA and NBA's commitment to her safe return has not wavered and it is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States," Engelbert and Silver said.
Griner's agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas tweeted that the sentence "was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn." She added that she supported the Biden administration's efforts "to get a deal done."
U.S. officials said last week that they have offered a deal for Griner's return, and sources have said the deal would trade convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan, who has been in Russian custody since being arrested on espionage charges in December 2018.
Griner's strategy throughout the trial was to treat it as a legitimate proceeding, knowing that a guilty verdict was considered a foregone conclusion and that any deal to send her home would require an admission of guilt.
Addressing the court at the end of her trial and before sentencing Thursday, Griner again told the court she made "an honest mistake" and talked about the sense of responsibility she learned from her parents growing up in Houston.
"That's why I pled guilty to my charges. I understand everything that's being said against me, the charges that are against me, and that is why I pled guilty," Griner said, addressing the judge through an interpreter from her defendant's cage. "But I had no intent to break any Russian laws."
Griner also apologized to her teammates, fans and the city of Ekaterinburg, where she has played during WNBA offseasons since 2014.
"I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population. I never meant to break any laws here," she said. "I made an honest mistake, and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesn't end my life here."
Griner also addressed the political reality of her detention: "I know that everybody keeps talking about 'political pawn' and 'politics,' but I hope that is far from this courtroom."
Griner's attorneys had hoped for leniency, but Griner and her supporters know that in the end, the length of the sentence is merely a formality in negotiations for her release.
Russian officials, including the Kremlin's top spokesperson and the deputy minister for foreign affairs, have insisted that, under Russian law, the country could not consider a deal before she was sentenced.
Compared with other Americans who have been detained in Russia, Griner's legal case moved rapidly.
Whelan, for example, was held in pretrial detention for 18 months before his trial concluded in June 2020. American Trevor Reed was arrested in August 2019 and convicted in July 2020. He came home this April after the countries agreed to a prisoner swap that American officials sought when Reed was reported to be in poor health.
Reed's release was the first welcome sign to Griner's supporters that there was a diplomatic channel open between the two countries after Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Russian court sentenced WNBA star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison Thursday, an expected conclusion to her trial that should allow negotiations for a prisoner swap to accelerate.
Griner, who was arrested Feb. 17 for bringing cannabis into the country, had been prepared for a harsh sentence, sources close to the player said. But she and her supporters have also been aware that Russia was not going to move forward with a trade that could bring her home until her trial was completed. A guilty verdict was considered a foregone conclusion, and Griner pleaded guilty July 7, though the case continued under Russian law.
During sentencing, Judge Anna Sotnikova said she had found that Griner intentionally broke the law and also fined her 1 million rubles (about $16,700). Sotnikova said the time Griner has served in custody since her arrest in February would count toward the sentence.
Griner reacted to the sentence with little emotion, listening to the verdict with a blank stare on her face.
The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years that Griner had faced under the charges, and prosecutors had asked for a 9½-year sentence.
Griner's defense lawyers said they would appeal. The defense team said that in sentencing the court had ignored all evidence it had presented and Griner's guilty plea.
Defense attorney Maria Blagovolina told reporters later that Griner was "very upset, very stressed. She can hardly talk. It's a difficult time for her."
Under Russian law, Griner has 10 days to appeal, and her lawyers said they expect a hearing in Moscow regional court next week. Asked if Griner could ask for pardon from Russian President Vladimir Putin, Blagovolina said they would consider every possibility, but the lawyers said they were not part of any discussions about a prisoner swap.
U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement on the verdict that referred to Griner as wrongfully detained -- a designation U.S. officials have used since May -- and called for her release.
"Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney," Biden said. "It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates."
Outside the court, the U.S. Embassy's chargé d'affaires Elizabeth Rood called the verdict "a miscarriage of justice."
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in a joint statement, called Thursday's verdict and sentencing "unjustified and unfortunate," while Griner's WNBA team, also tweeted a statement of support.
"The WNBA and NBA's commitment to her safe return has not wavered and it is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States," Engelbert and Silver said.
Griner's agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas tweeted that the sentence "was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn." She added that she supported the Biden administration's efforts "to get a deal done."
U.S. officials said last week that they have offered a deal for Griner's return, and sources have said the deal would trade convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan, who has been in Russian custody since being arrested on espionage charges in December 2018.
Griner's strategy throughout the trial was to treat it as a legitimate proceeding, knowing that a guilty verdict was considered a foregone conclusion and that any deal to send her home would require an admission of guilt.
Addressing the court at the end of her trial and before sentencing Thursday, Griner again told the court she made "an honest mistake" and talked about the sense of responsibility she learned from her parents growing up in Houston.
"That's why I pled guilty to my charges. I understand everything that's being said against me, the charges that are against me, and that is why I pled guilty," Griner said, addressing the judge through an interpreter from her defendant's cage. "But I had no intent to break any Russian laws."
Griner also apologized to her teammates, fans and the city of Ekaterinburg, where she has played during WNBA offseasons since 2014.
"I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population. I never meant to break any laws here," she said. "I made an honest mistake, and I hope that in your ruling, that it doesn't end my life here."
Griner also addressed the political reality of her detention: "I know that everybody keeps talking about 'political pawn' and 'politics,' but I hope that is far from this courtroom."
Griner's attorneys had hoped for leniency, but Griner and her supporters know that in the end, the length of the sentence is merely a formality in negotiations for her release.
Russian officials, including the Kremlin's top spokesperson and the deputy minister for foreign affairs, have insisted that, under Russian law, the country could not consider a deal before she was sentenced.
Compared with other Americans who have been detained in Russia, Griner's legal case moved rapidly.
Whelan, for example, was held in pretrial detention for 18 months before his trial concluded in June 2020. American Trevor Reed was arrested in August 2019 and convicted in July 2020. He came home this April after the countries agreed to a prisoner swap that American officials sought when Reed was reported to be in poor health.
Reed's release was the first welcome sign to Griner's supporters that there was a diplomatic channel open between the two countries after Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yes she did. She BEEN playing over there. bro since 2015
But NOW they go after her?
you right she got medical clearance....
NOW they go after her?
And we ACCEPT THAT Russia found THAT amount?
Also in that situation she is saying ANYHTHING to get her ass out of that country bro.
My point is I will NEVER dispute that you BETTER HONOR the rules in other countries.
PERIOD.
But folks using that argument here and now?
Better realize that its not that simple in THIS SPECIFIC case.
They using her as a pawn.
PERIOD and everything around this incident is f*cked up
BOTH things can be true.
I don't think that they're going after her. There's airport footage of them finding something and it appears to be the weed.
She definitely deserves to be visited by the Embassy if that's the way things work out there.
It's just a very bad situation to be in, especially with a country where we both don't like each other.
The irony of Prosecutor Harris complaining about someone being locked up for a drug charge.
TRUST....
NO ONE, not Brit not wife not lawyer, not dep of state dispute oil nor amount
#fuckBiden
What has the LGBTQ community said about this? They do have their own army and can go get her/him/they/whatever out of that bind easily right?
If a deal is gonna be made to get her out.
Ukraine will be part of the conversation.
Let’s see how things play out in Ukraine going forward.
Ukraine will be part of the conversation.
Let’s see how things play out in Ukraine going forward.
I think she might've gotten a lighter sentence if the US govt hadn't already offered a deal. If there was not media coverage they may have gone easy on her. But since they know the US is willing to give up something for her, they figure: might as well make it a long sentence. The state dept wasn't giving up anything if she was only going to be in for a few months.
Yup. As you know, Canada puts you on a list and you can’t land there without being taken in. Once you’re on the list you stay on it and it’s up to the officer if he wants to do additional screening. They draw that big as red X across your face, yo ass better prepare to have a seat. And for those who think he’s playing, they will ask for access to your phone or laptop. They can use the “child porn” shit to go through your laptop and phone. Typically not for bullshit, but if you have a criminal history (yes they pull that shit) or tried to enter or immigrate illegally they then can go through your laptop and phone.
And for the layperson; you can get screwed like Griner in a dozen ways. Don’t be her! You could be flying to and from two countries where weed/oil is legal. Pay attention! Direct flight, so no worries, right? But mechanical issues force you to stop over in another country—now you have a Russia situation, and you got that pipe and oil from Amsterdam in your bag.
Agreed. It’s a bit unnerving and embarassing at times. I’m just glad I don’t fuck with drugs, cuz that would cause all types of other issues.
I have been offered coke, heroin and meth while casually strolling around out of country and I politely decline and motion people away immediately. No thanks. Not what I do, and knowing my luck I would get undercover busted on the spot!
All that said, fuck Putin and YVR (Vancouver).
Facts. I can eat without intentional travel. And I fucking love YVR. One of the dopest cities in Canada. Had an Asian play thang in Richmond when I did business there.
Why travel with that kinda shit at all?
They doing pedicures on the beach when I land for like $8
You may not have gotten locked up, but those nose hair tweezers cost you valuable time from your life since.
Why even travel with that shit?
Agreed. Just wasn’t thinking clearly and it was a small pack about the size of a small wallet that went inside a pack which had other necessities.
Usually my carry-on is really light too. Only about 1/3 of what everyone around me has. I usually just overpack on changes of clothes (regular luggage) due to heading to hot climates. Always washing and airdrying stuff out.