United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Russia on Thursday for sentencing basketball player Brittney Griner to nine years in prison.
"The Russian court’s conviction and sentencing of US citizen Brittney Griner spotlights our concerns with the Russian government’s use of wrongful detentions. I am committed to ensuring we do everything we can to bring home Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan as soon as possible," Blinken said in a tweet. Meanwhile, US National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby stated that Blinken is likely to reach out to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov again to discuss the matter.
Griner was arrested on drug charges in Russia in February after being caught carrying vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis at the Sheremetyevo International Airport. In July, she plead guilty to the charges but insisted "there was no intent."
