U.S. basketball star Griner admits Russian drugs charge but denies intent

[Scott]

U.S. basketball star Griner admits Russian drugs charge but denies intent

 

KHIMKI, Russia, July 7 (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to a drugs charge in a Russian court on Thursday but denied she had intentionally broken the law.

Griner was speaking at the second hearing of her trial on a narcotics charge that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, days after she urged U.S. President Joe Biden to secure her release.

"I'd like to plead guilty, your honour. But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law," Griner said, speaking quietly in English which was then translated into Russian for the court.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-basketball-player-griner-pleads-guilty-drugs-charges-russian-court-2022-07-07/

 

 

[Thailand]

Then why take the drugs in you stupid woman?

[Hanaguma]

Yeah, gotta wonder about the mentality here. You carry drugs into a virtual dictatorship, what did you expect was going to happen?  Sorry but no sympathy here.  If she is lucky, the Russians can appear "magnanimous" and just deport her. If not, a stretch in the Moscow Marriott awaits...

[pegman]

9 hours ago, Hanaguma said:

Yeah, gotta wonder about the mentality here. You carry drugs into a virtual dictatorship, what did you expect was going to happen?  Sorry but no sympathy here.  If she is lucky, the Russians can appear "magnanimous" and just deport her. If not, a stretch in the Moscow Marriott awaits...

How about an exchange for  Julian Assange? 

[Bluespunk]

10 hours ago, Thailand said:

Then why take the drugs in you stupid woman?

The full article goes into more detail about how events occurred. Seems like she just didn’t leave a couple of vape cartridges behind when travelling. Careless but hardly deserving of gaol. 
 

“Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, was detained in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport with vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in Russia, and has been kept in custody since.”

[Hanaguma]

44 minutes ago, pegman said:

How about an exchange for  Julian Assange? 

Nah. Assange is more valuable.  Hold out for the Marine as well. Two for one. 

[pegman]

5 hours ago, Hanaguma said:

Nah. Assange is more valuable.  Hold out for the Marine as well. Two for one. 

Seems fair. I'll send a note to Vlad