Biden called the sentence of American basketball player Greiner unacceptable
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The sentence of US citizen Brittney Griner, who received nine years in prison for drug smuggling, is unacceptable, US President Joe Biden said.
“Today, US citizen Brittney Griner was sentenced to prison. This is unacceptable and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates.” quotes Statement by the President of the White House Press Service.
Biden noted that Washington will use “all possible means” to return her and American Paul Whelan, convicted in Russia, home.
Earlier today, the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region found Greiner guilty of drug smuggling and sentenced to 9 years in prison with a fine of 1 million rubles. The basketball player was arrested in March after vape cartridges with hash oil were found in her bag at Sheremetyevo Airport, and a criminal case was opened against her under the article on drug smuggling in a significant amount. Under this article, she was threatened with imprisonment for up to 10 years.
In early July, Greiner fully admitted her guilt, but stressed that she had no malicious intent, as she was going in a hurry. The Court considered this a mitigating circumstance.
Earlier it became known that Washington sent Moscow an offer to exchange Russian Viktor Bout for Greiner and Whelan. Then the CNN channel reported that the Russian side offered to exchange not only Bout, but also the Russian Vadim Krasikov, who was convicted in Germany last year.
Later, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre called the response proposals of the Russian side on the exchange of citizens in custody “frivolous.” Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the words of Jean-Pierre. In his opinion, negotiations should be conducted without “megaphone diplomacy”. At the end of July, he stated that so far the parties had not been able to reach an agreement on this issue.
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