Joe Biden calls Brittney Griner's sentence 'unacceptable'
President Joe Biden on Thursday said the
nine-year sentence handed down to WNBA star Brittney Griner by a Russian court
for drug smuggling is "unacceptable."
"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. 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.
He continued, "My administration will
continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney
and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible."
The Russian court said that Griner committed
the crime deliberately and sentenced her to nine years of jail time and a fine
of 1 million rubles, which is roughly Ksh.1.94 million.
Griner was arrested with less than 1 gram of
cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport on
February 17.
The sentencing comes after CNN has reported
that the US made a "substantial offer" with Russia of a proposed
prisoner swap for Griner and Whelan.
Whelan, a US citizen and former Marine, was
arrested in Moscow on espionage charges in 2018 and subsequently sentenced to
16 years in prison in a trial US officials denounced as unfair.
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