“I want to apologize to my teammates, my club, my fans and the city (of Yekaterinburg) for my mistake and the embarrassment I caused them,” Griner said in his statement. “I want to apologize to my parents, my siblings, the Phoenix Mercury organization back home, the amazing women of the WNBA and my amazing partner back home.”
Reacting to her sentencing, President Joe Biden criticized Russia for “wrongfully arresting” Greiner, saying they would “pursue every means possible” to bring her home.
“This is 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 avenue possible to bring Britney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also released a joint statement condemning the ruling.
“Today’s verdict and sentence are unfair and unfortunate, but not unexpected, and Brittney Griner was wrongly arrested,” he said. “Our hope is that the WNBA and NBA’s commitment to her safe return remains unwavering and that this process is nearing the end of finally bringing BG home to the United States.”
Griner previously testified that she was using cannabis oil prescribed by doctors to treat pain from sports injuries, but had packed her bags in a hurry and did not intend to bring them to Russia, where she was playing in the WNBA offseason. “Since they accidentally ended up in my bags, I take responsibility, but I did not intend to smuggle or smuggle (the illegal substances) into Russia,” he testified on July 27.
Griner complained that he was not read his rights when he was first arrested and that he did not receive proper translation services during the investigation.
In a letter to Biden last month, Griner said he was “terrified” that he could be locked up in a Russian prison forever.
“I understand you are dealing with a lot, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees,” he said. “Please do your best to bring us home.”
Colas, Griner’s agent, said he appreciated the Biden administration’s efforts to bring the basketball star and Whalen back to the US.
“The only objective is to bring Brittney and Paul home, and we have to use every means available,” Colas said. “We must be focused and united. This is a time for compassion and a shared understanding that making a deal to bring Americans home will be difficult, but it is urgent and it is the right thing to do.”
(tags to translate)Breaking Team
