US' Women's National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on August 4, 2022. - Lawyers for US basketball star Brittney Griner, who is standing trial in Russia on drug charges, said on July 26, 2022 they hoped she would receive a "lenient" sentence. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
<p>On Thursday, a Russian court found Brittney Griner guilty of attempted drug smuggling and possession. According to <em>CNN, </em>the guilty verdict says Brittney <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/04/europe/brittney-griner-trial/index.html">had criminal intent</a> when she attempted to enter the country with less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage.</p>
<p>Before the conviction, Russian prosecutors<a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/russian-prosecutors-ask-for-9-5-year-sentence-for-brittney-griner-in-closing-arguments-for-weed-vape-trial/"> asked the court</a> to consider giving the WNBA star 9.5 years in their closing. Shortly after news of the verdict broke, Brittney&#8217;s lawyers confirmed the Russian court obliged the prosecutors&#8217; request. As a result, she was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/08/04/world/brittney-griner-trial-verdict-russia">sentenced to nine years</a> in a penal colony, per <em>The New York Times. </em>Additionally, the judge fined Brittney about $16,300&#8211;one million rubles.</p>
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<h5 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Brittney Apologized &; Denied Criminal Intent Prior To Verdict </strong></h5>
<p>This verdict comes after Brittney <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/update-brittney-griner-pleads-guilty-to-russian-drug-charges-but-denies-she-intended-to-break-the-law/">pled guilty in early July</a>. At the time, she said, <em>&#8220;I&#8217;d like to plead guilty, your honor, but there was no intent, I didn&#8217;t break the law.&#8221;</em> She again spoke to the court during Thursday&#8217;s closing arguments.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I never meant to hurt anybody, I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never meant to break any laws here,&#8221; Brittney said. &#8220;I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn&#8217;t end my life here.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<p>As previously reported, customs officials detained Brittney in February at a Moscow airport. They had found two vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her baggage. In May, the United States declared that Brittney was &#8220;wrongfully detained,&#8221; but that did little to aid her case.</p>
<p>Concerns that Russia is using Brittney as a political prisoner bubbled almost immediately after the news of her arrest. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin denied those allegations. Speaking through a rep named Dmitry Peskov, the president said Brittney &#8220;violated Russian law&#8221; regarding hashish oil, and the case is &#8220;not about being a hostage.&#8221; Brittney addressed this commentary in court on Thursday.</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom. She added, &#8220;I want to say again that I had no intent on breaking any Russian laws. I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime.&#8221;</p></blockquote>
<h5 style="text-align: center;"><strong>Officials Say Verdict May Lead To Possible Exchange Of Prisoners</strong></h5>
<p>We previously reported that the Biden administration was considering a prisoner trade with Russia. A senior admin official told <em>CNN </em>that they communicated their offer in June. Apparently, the U.S. offered Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in exchange for Brittney and former Marine Paul Whelan, who was arrested in 2018.</p>
<p>According to <em>The New York Times, </em>Moscow officials said a prisoner exchange wouldn&#8217;t be possible until after the verdict. Following the verdict news, President Biden <a href="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/president-biden-calls-for-the-immediate-release-of-brittney-griner-following-9-year-prison-sentence/">issued a statement</a> reiterating the wrongful conviction of Brittney.</p>
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