Russian court jails US basketball star for nine years over drug smuggling
KHIMKI, Russia: A Russian court on Thursday sentenced US basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison over drug smuggling as US President Joe Biden called the ruling “unacceptable.” The court “found the defendant guilty” of smuggling and possessing “a significant amount of narcotics,” judge Anna Sotnikova told a court in the town of Khimki just outside Moscow. Sotnikova sentenced Griner, 31, to nine years in prison and said she would also have to pay a fine of one million rubles ($16,590). US President Joe Biden immediately released a statement, calling the Russian court’s sentencing of Griner “unacceptable.” “Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney.
