American ladies' ball star Brittney Griner was indicted for purposely sneaking

American ladies' ball star Brittney Griner was indicted for purposely sneaking

American ladies' ball star Brittney Griner was indicted for purposely sneaking medications into Russia and condemned to nine years of prison time Thursday for a situation that has raised concerns she is being utilized as a political pawn in Russia's conflict against Ukraine.

Judge Anna Sotnikova of the Khimki city court conveyed the sentence and fined Griner 1 million rubles, or about $16,400. She said the court considered Griner's fractional confirmation of culpability, regret for the deed, condition of wellbeing and altruistic exercises. Examiners had asked that she be condemned to 9.5 years in prison.

Preceding the decision, Griner apologized to the court and requested mercy in a profound discourse.

"I never intended to hurt anyone, I never intended to place in danger the Russian populace, I never intended to overstep any regulations here," Griner said. "I committed a genuine error and I trust that in your decision that it doesn't take my life here. I realize everyone continues to discuss political pawn and legislative issues, yet that's what I trust, that is a long way from this court.

"I need to say again that I had no plan on overstepping any Russian regulations. I had no plan. I didn't plot or want to carry out this wrongdoing," she added.

After the sentence, Griner told a CNN maker as she left court, "I love my loved ones."

We are extremely disheartened by the decision. As legitimate experts, we accept that the court ought to be reasonable for everybody paying little heed to ethnicity. The court totally overlooked all the proof of the guard, and in particular, the liable supplication," they said in the articulation. "This goes against the current lawful practice. Considering how much the substance (also the imperfections of the ability) and the supplication, the decision is totally nonsensical. We will unquestionably record an allure."

Talking outside court, Boykov said that the normal time in prison for this kind of wrongdoing is five years, adding that close to 33% of those sentenced get parole.

Griner "isn't doing fine today," said Blagovolina, an accomplice at Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Partners law office. The protection group is confident that Griner will actually want to converse with her family one week from now. Blagovolina added that Griner will get back to the confinement place where she is being held.