Earlier this week, Olympian and NBA champion Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony after being found guilty on drug charges - for carrying cannabis oil in her suitcase while traveling to the country.
While Griner's lawyers said that they plan to appeal the sentence, viewed by many as draconian, Griner declared, "I had no intent on breaking any Russian laws. I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime."
After the news broke, President Biden called the sentence "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.
"My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible," he added.
Trevor Weighs In
Comedian Trevor Noah also weighed in during "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah."
"This is bullsh*t [as] we all know Russia doesn't care about what Brittney Griner did. This is the same country breaking every human rights law on the planet, but they're like, 'that woman has vape cartridge. She's a real criminal,'" Noah said.
But for Trevor, there's a silver lining. "This seems like it's just a negotiation tactic," he argued, referencing a potential prisoner exchange between the US and Russia.
See also: Here's What Elon Musk Said About The Brittney Griner Prisoner Swap Proposal With Russia
Noah concluded, "If we had more time, we could talk about how this could have been avoided if the WNBA paid their players enough so they didn't have to go and play in Russia in the off-season to make money."
Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/dtKeojxoUEM
Lee en español:
- Biden y WNBA Responden a Condena a 9 Años por Marihuana en Rusia de Brittney Griner
- Trump Contra la Liberación de Brittney Griner: la Llama una ‘Persona Potencialmente Malcriada’
- Caso Brittney Griner: LeBron James, Furioso con el Gobierno de EEUU
Photos via WikiMedia Commons: by Lorie Shaull & Hayden Schiff. Edit by Javier Hasse.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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