JUST IN: Biden Demands Release of Brittney Griner Minutes After WNBA Star Sentenced to 9 Years in Russian Prison

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President Joe Biden demanded the release of Brittney Griner after the WNBA star was sentenced to 9 years in prison in a Russian court.

On Thursday morning, after delivering an emotional plea for leniency, Griner was sentenced to 9 more years in prison for possessing 0.7 grams of cannabis oil in vape cartridges that were found in her luggage. Griner entered a guilty plea to the charges last month.

In court, Griner apologized to her team for “the embarrassment I brought on them.”

“I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population. I never meant to break any laws here. I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn’t end my life here.I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom. I want to say again that I had no intent of breaking Russian laws. I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime,” Griner said.

Within minutes, Biden demanded Russia release Griner “immediately” in a statement from The White House:

Statement by President Joe Biden on the Sentencing of Wrongfully Detained American Brittney Griner

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. My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible.

Griner and fellow detained American Paul Whelan are the subject of negotiations with Russia, whom the United States has offered a trade involving imprisoned  Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.