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US basketball star Brittney Griner is convicted guilty of drug charges in a Russian court and sentenced to nine years in jail.
Judge Anna Sotnikova told a court in the town of Khimki, close outside Moscow, that the court "found the defendant guilty" of smuggling and having "a significant amount of narcotics. In addition, the player was fined one million rubles ($16,300), Al Jazeera reported.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, has been held in Russia since February 17. Russian investigators accused the athlete of possessing vape cartridges containing hashish oil and smuggling the narcotic material.
President Joe Biden termed Griner's prison sentence "unacceptable" and demanded immediate release.
“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 wrote in a statement.
Griner pled guilty when her trial began in July, saying she did not carry the canisters into Russia on purpose. In Russia, cannabis is outlawed for both medical and recreational uses.
Picture Credits: AFP/Getty Images
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