U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, walks after the court's verdict in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia August 4, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina

Aug 4 (Reuters) - Following are reactions after U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner was sentenced in a Russian court on Thursday to nine years in prison for illegally bringing hashish-infused vape cartridges into the country. She had admitted having the cartridges but called it an honest mistake. read more

"She is very upset, very stressed. She can hardly talk. It's a difficult time for her.

"When we saw Brittney on Tuesday, we told her, 'See you on Thursday'. She said, 'See you on doomsday'. So it looks like she was right."

"Taking into account the amount of the substance - not to mention the defects of the expertise - and the plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable."

"Today, American citizen Brittney Griner received a prison sentence that is one more reminder of what the world already knew: Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney.

"It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates."

"Nothing about today's decision changes our determination that Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained, and we will continue working to bring Brittney and fellow wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Paul Whelan home."

"Today's sentencing of Brittney Griner was severe by Russian legal standards and goes to prove what we have known all along, that Brittney is being used as a political pawn. We appreciate and continue to support the efforts of (Biden) and to get a deal done swiftly to bring Brittney, Paul and all Americans home.

"... This is a time for compassion and a shared understanding that getting a deal done to bring Americans home will be hard, but it is urgent and it is the right thing to do. #WeAreBG"

"Today's verdict and sentencing is unjustified and unfortunate, but not unexpected and Brittney Griner remains wrongly detained.

"The WNBA and NBA's commitment to her safe return has not wavered and it is our hope that we are near the end of this process of finally bringing BG home to the United States."

"We continue to support BG however we can and remain engaged with the U.S. State Department as it works diligently to being her home. The bravery Brittney is demonstrating in the face of these unimaginable circumstances speaks to the person she is and the strength she possesses.

"We will not be satisfied until BG is back in the U.S. and reunited with her loved ones, teammates and fans."

"Whatever conversations Secretary Blinken and his Russian counterpart need to have, we trust that they are having them with all deliberate speed. Because it's time. It's just time. This is critically important to BG, to her family, to our country. We're counting on this Administration."

Source: Reuters

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