“I’m guilty” Brittney Griner sends emotional LIVE message from Russian prison as nine-year sentence is confirmed
Brittney Griner
WNBA star Brittney Griner was arrested in Russia for carrying illegal cannabis oil by officials at Moscow airport. She was sentenced on August 4 to nine years in a penal colony for possession and smuggling of drugs. However, the Russian court on Tuesday rejected the WNBA player’s appeal against a nine-year prison sentence.
A video went viral on YouTube where Brittney Griner spoke from behind bars about her rejected appeal. She quoted, “I’ve been here almost eight months, and people with more severe crimes have gotten less than what I was given.” Activists, supporters, and the WNBA union reacted to Griner’s rejection appeal stating that no athlete should be used as a political pawn.
She added, “I want to also apologize for this mistake, and I said in my first part that yes, I believe guilty I did not intend to do this, but I understand the charges brought against me, and I just hope that, that is also taken into account too as well that I did.” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has commented that President Joe Biden has a straightforward motto that Brittney should be released as soon as possible. He also stated that they are making all deals possible to get Griner back home.
Also read BREAKING: Brittney Griner’s appeal gets rejected by the Russian Authorities
Is Brittney Griner wrongfully detained in Russia?
It is rumored that the WNBA star Brittney Griner is illegally detained in Russia due to the tension between the USA and Russia. US officials have said Griner was ‘wrongfully detained,’ an accusation that the Russians clearly denied. The basketball star’s arrest came just days before the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February.
Last month, US President Joe Biden met with Britney’s wife, Cherelle Griner, and called the verdict ‘unacceptable.’ He said his administration was doing everything possible to push for her release. In July, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken revealed that a concrete proposal had been made to get Griner home, but later no update was made.
On the other hand, Russian officials have urged the US to discuss the matter in confidential talks. With Brittney’s plea against the nine-year sentence rejected, it would be interesting to see how the US officials decide to deal with things. They are even pushing for the release of former US marine Paul Whelan, who was accused of espionage and handed 16-year jail time in 2020.
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Rutuja Suryawanshi
(247 Articles Published)