Brittney Griner’s wife Cherelle says the Russian court’s decision to deny the WNBA star’s appeal left her “completely in disbelief” and that the nine-year sentence felt “political.”
Cherelle appeared on Tuesday’s episode of The View just days after her wife’s harsh sentence was upheld in a Russian court.
She described her wife’s sentence as “absurd” and “disproportionate” compared to other crimes and punishments in the country.
The Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist was convicted of drug possession in August after police said she found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
Griner is expected to serve out her entire sentence in a penal colony labor camp in Russia, known for its harsh conditions.
WNBA star Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle, appeared on The View, where she described her wife’s 9-year sentence as “preposterous” compared to other sentences in the country
Griner was convicted in August after police found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport
“To see that the whole of the circumstances of who she is as a person wasn’t taken into account when they made a decision makes me feel like it has to be political — at this point,” Cherelle told co-hosts Tuesday .
“It’s not her footprint. Your footprint is amazing for Russia. She pays taxes there,” she continued. “She’s great for Russia.”
Griner was not at the Moscow Regional Court hearing, but appeared via video link from a penal colony outside the capital where she is being held.
The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years, and Griner’s attorneys argued after the sentencing that the sentence was excessive. They said defendants in similar cases have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them being paroled.
“I understand that every state, every country has its own rules when I’m in the field of law, but that’s just absurd,” Cherelle said.
“The crime and punishment are disproportionate at best… There are people convicted of murder in Russia [have] a lot less than BG, and it just makes absolutely no sense to me.’
“That was the complete ending. Nothing more to be expected from a legal standpoint and all eggs are in the basket, you know, for our government and for America to see how important this issue is,” she continued.
“It could happen to anyone, and we should pray that we have a country that recognizes the importance of this and is willing to actually take our Americans and bring them back home.”
Cherelle said she has only spoken to her wife a few times since her February incarceration and said Griner’s mental health is suffering.
“It was really hard trying to adapt every day,” she told the hosts.
“From a legal point of view, nothing more can be expected,” she said. However, it was added that viewers can support Griner by joining the letter campaign.
She said she will hold on to the hope that her wife’s “personality can do her a small favor to protect her in the Russian labor camp.”
“Once you’ve met BG, it’s impossible not to love her,” she said.
Griner was not at the Moscow Regional Court hearing, but appeared via video link from a penal colony outside the capital where she is being held
Griner is expected to serve her entire sentence in a Russian-language penal colony labor camp known for its harsh conditions
At her August trial, Griner admitted having the canisters in her luggage, but testified that she accidentally grabbed them in her rush to her flight and had no criminal intent. Her defense team produced written statements stating that her cannabis had been prescribed to treat chronic pain.
While the sentence was upheld, the court said last week that Griner’s prison time will be recalculated to reflect what she has already served in custody. A day in custody counts as 1 1/2 days in prison, so that she still has to serve about eight years in prison.
Griner’s lawyers, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in an email that they were “very disappointed” with the decision because they still “believe the penalty is excessive and contrary to established court practice.”
“Brittney’s biggest fear is that she won’t be exchanged and will have to serve her entire sentence in Russia,” they said. “She had hopes for today as every month, every day away from her family and friends is important to her.”
They said they needed to discuss with Griner what legal action to take next.
Griner’s arrest in February came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia deployed troops to Ukraine. It was then that Griner returned to play for a Russian team in the WNBA’s offseason.
WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner is pictured with her wife, Cherelle Griner. The basketball star faces nine years in a Russian prison after a “vape pen filled with cannabis” was found on her.
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner holds photos in a cage of an accused before a hearing at the Khimki Court outside Moscow July 27
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the decision “another judicial failure that compounds the injustice of their detention,” adding that “their release is our priority.”
President Joe Biden told reporters that his administration is in “continuous contact” with Russian authorities about Griner and other Americans detained there. While there has been no progress bringing them back to the US, Biden said, “We’re not stopping.”
Prior to her sentencing, the US State Department declared Griner “unlawfully detained” — a charge Russia strongly denies.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Biden “stands ready to make extraordinary efforts and difficult decisions to bring Americans home.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said the decision, while unfortunate, was not unexpected. … It’s time to end this case and bring BG home.’ The WNBA Players Association said the ruling was “further confirmation that BG is not just wrongly imprisoned – she is clearly a hostage.”
Due to mounting pressure on the Biden administration to do more to bring Griner home, Blinken took the unusual step of revealing in July that Washington had made a “substantive proposal” to bring Griner along with Paul Whelan, a American serving home a 16-year sentence in Russia for espionage.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is seen October 25 during her hearing to appeal her conviction on drug charges
The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years, and Griner’s attorneys argued after the sentencing that the sentence was excessive
Blinken didn’t elaborate, but The Associated Press and other news organizations have reported that Washington has offered to trade Griner and Whelan for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US and was once the Has earned the nickname ‘Merchant of Death’.
The White House said it has not yet received a productive response from Russia to the offer.
Russian diplomats have declined to comment on the US proposal, urging Washington to discuss the matter in private and avoid public comment. However, some Russian officials have said an agreement is more likely once the appeals are exhausted.
In September, Biden met with Cherelle Griner, the player’s wife, and her agent, Lindsay Colas. Biden also sat down separately with Elizabeth Whelan, sister of Paul Whelan.
The White House said after the meetings that the president reassured the families of his “continued commitment to using all available avenues to bring Brittney and Paul home safely.”
The US and Russia held a prisoner exchange in April. Moscow released US Navy veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for the US releasing a Russian pilot, Konstantin Yaroshenko, convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.