Russian court sentences WNBA player Brittney Griner to 9 years in prison

ANKARA

A Russian court on Thursday sentenced American basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in prison on charges of drug possession and smuggling.

The Khimki City Court in Moscow region also imposed a fine of 1 million rubles ($16,600) on the WNBA star.

Greiner's defense will be appealing the verdict, her lawyer said.

Prosecutors earlier said the charges against her were fully proven, and sought a 9.5-year sentence in a penal colony.

Griner, 31, was arrested in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport after authorities said they found cannabis oil in her possession.

She pleaded guilty in July to drug charges, but has maintained she used medicinal cannabis to treat pain and denied intending to violate Russian law.

The US offered a swap deal that includes Griner and Paul Whelan, who has been held in Russia since 2018 on espionage charges.

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