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Basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian courtroom on Friday, but not before she was given a note from President Joe Biden.
Hoping that a guilty plea could be his best shot at a light sentence in what experts fear is a false trial, the WBNA player admitted taking hashish oil to Russia by accident because he was in a hurry to pack it.
“Brittney set an example of being brave. She decided to take full responsibility for her actions because she knows that she is a role model for many people,” read the statement from the Russian legal team Griner, Maria Blagovolina from Rybalkin Gortsunyan Dyakin and Alexander Boykov from Moscow Legal Center.
“Considering the nature of his case, the insignificant amount of substance and the personality of BG and his history of positive contribution to global and Russian sports, the defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as a mitigating factor and there will not be a serious problem. punishment, ” said the lawyer.
The attorney said Griner’s trial is expected to end in early August.
Griner has been detained in Russia for more than four months after authorities say they found a small amount of hash oil in a vape pen in his luggage.
“Brittney has admitted to making a mistake, and I hope that the Russian authorities recognize the humble act and respond with compassion,” Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement sent by Griner’s team.
Sharpton, Britney’s wife Cherelle, and WNBA players will meet Friday in Chicago to demand her release.
They fear that Griner, who faces a maximum sentence of 10 years, is being used as a bargaining chip by Moscow against Washington amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“She’s in the fight of her life right now, so we’re going to be here in Chicago to show our support for Brittney and for the Administration and their efforts to get her home as soon as possible,” Sharpton said. “We must all continue to pray for her strength during this challenging time.”
Griner’s guilty plea came a day after Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris called Cherelle Griner to assure them that their administration was working to free the basketball star.
The call came after Cherelle Griner criticized Biden for not meeting with her to discuss the case.
When she arrived in court on Thursday, Brittney Griner was given a note from Biden that she had previously read to her wife over the phone.
The message was in response to one of the basketball players who had written to the president on July 4, asking for freedom.
“As I sit in a Russian prison, with only my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any achievements, I fear that I will be here forever,” Griner wrote.
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