Russia sentences Griner to 9 years in prison, White House calls for her release

U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal possession of cannabis, is escorted before a court hearing in Khimki outside Moscow, Russia August 2, 2022. Natalia Kolesnikova/Pool via REUTERS

KHIMKI, Russia (Reuters) -A Russian court sentenced U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in prison on Thursday after finding her guilty of deliberately bringing cannabis-infused vape cartridges into Russia, a ruling that U.S. President Joe Biden called "unacceptable."

Griner was escorted out of the courtroom in handcuffs by police after the ruling, turning to reporters and saying: "I love my family".