The verdict of the Khimki court of the Moscow region against Brittney Greiner caused a resonance both in Russia and abroad.

Opinions on this score are expectedly divided.

Some considered the chosen measure of restraint in the form of a nine-year imprisonment and a fine of 1 million rubles for drug smuggling and possession to be fair, while others called the verdict too harsh.

The US authorities and representatives of the country's professional basketball leagues, as expected, stood up for the athlete.

One of the first to express their point of view on this issue was the men's and women's National Basketball Associations.

Commissioners Adam Silver and Cathy Engelbert published a joint press release in which they expressed their disagreement with the verdict of the Khimki court.

They considered it "unreasonable and regrettable", but at the same time expected.

The leaders stressed that they consider the detention of the athlete unfair and are committed to the idea of ​​​​her return home, and also hope that this process will be completed soon.

The action in support of Greiner was organized by Phoenix, for which she has been playing since 2013.

Before the start of the match with Connecticut, the teams spent 42 seconds in silence (a reference to Brittney's game number in the Mercury squad).

And during the meeting, local fans expressed their attitude to the situation, demanding to return their compatriot home.

Brooklyn point guard Kyrie Irving, who in recent years has been actively speaking out on various issues not related to sports, did not stand aside.

On his Twitter page, he turned to US leader Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, urging them to answer exactly how things are with "Queen" Greiner.

This post caused a strong reaction among American users.

And although the majority stated the need to achieve the return of the basketball player to their homeland, some of them condemned her behavior and were sympathetic to the court's decision.

In turn, Roman Teryushkov, a member of the State Duma Committee on Physical Culture and Sports, stressed that any foreign citizen must respect the laws of a foreign country, and also commented on Biden's statement, which demanded that Greiner be released as soon as possible.

“The article provides for five to ten years.

Brittney is no different from other people who have violated this article of criminal law.

As for Biden's words about immediate release, he has always stated that his administration has the most members of the LGBT community.

We understand that their new value is black, two-meter lesbians who use drugs.

The entire community and the Biden administration therefore came to Greiner's defense.

A person who violated the laws of the Russian Federation,” Teryushkov told RIA Novosti.

According to the Olympic champion in speed skating, the first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Svetlana Zhurova, in the case of Greiner, neither her citizenship nor the political situation in the world should have influenced the court's decision.

She also suggested what consequences a Russian could expect in the United States for a similar offense.

“If our citizen were detained at the US border with drugs, I'm afraid it would not be nine years at all.

You know, Americans can even ban people from entering the country and revoke their visas for some forbidden food like an orange, let alone drugs.

And let's be honest: now in Russia there are enough people who bear the same punishment for the same crime, regardless of nationality, and why an exception should have been made for Greiner, I don’t understand, ”Match TV quotes Zhurova.

Commentator Dmitry Guberniev took a similar position.

He expressed sympathy for Greiner, because she “came to play basketball and did not expect such an ending to her stay in the country,” but nevertheless emphasized that she had committed a serious crime in Russia.

“Isn't nine years too long?

If you now enter America with hashish, will they give you a bonus and invite you to the White House?

No, you will be imprisoned, for sure.

And, I think, not even for nine years, but for 19, ”Guberniev suggested.

Shares the justification of the sentence and the former head coach of the Russian women's basketball team Boris Sokolovsky, according to which the greatness of an athlete should not overshadow the law.

He urged to trust the justice authorities, but also expressed regret over the situation.

“As a colleague, I am sincerely sorry that she got into such a situation, but it is wrong to say that our state is wrong, since she is a great basketball player.

Yes, many drugs are legal in the US, but that doesn't mean we have to follow their rules.

In addition to the fact that foreign athletes bring a new level of skill to our championship, many vices also come with them, ”TASS quotes Sokolovsky.

In turn, the general director of the women's basketball club "Sparta & K" Anna Arkhipova - von Kalmanovich believes that in the future the sentence against Greiner may be mitigated.

“There is a law, a court, lawyers and public prosecutors.

This issue should be dealt with by professionals.

Will she return to the floor?

And who is interested now?

Anything happens.

Many people get injured during takeoff.

Here life turned in such a way that a sports career is interrupted for another reason.

I think there will be further appeals and the term will eventually turn out to be not so long.

Professionals work with her.

They will figure it out, ”the 2003 European champion told RT.

At the same time, lawyer Maria Yarmush considered the verdict in the Greiner case fair.

A specialist in civil and international law expressed the opinion that the punishment was commensurate with the offense of the American basketball player.

“In this case, we are talking about Article 229.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, part two.

The girl crossed the state border and smuggled drugs into the Russian Federation in a significant amount, which are on the list of prohibited items and the transportation of which provides for five to ten years in prison.

This is a very serious crime.

The court gave nine years - the average time for such cases.

In the future, it may be slightly lowered by the court of appeal if the court of first instance did not take into account any mitigating circumstance.

Perhaps the fact that Greiner admitted her guilt, ”said the interlocutor of RT.

At the same time, she is sure that the Khimki court tried to evaluate all aspects of the case as objectively as possible, since close attention of the public, the media and foreign states was riveted to the process.

The lawyer did not rule out a reduction in the term of imprisonment by three to five months as a result of the appeal.

However, few people believe that Greiner will serve his entire sentence in Russia.

Recently, the possible exchange of the two-time Olympic champion and Paul Whelan convicted of espionage for businessman Viktor Bout has been widely discussed.

“Negotiations on the exchange began at the initiative of the American side.

At the same time, the United States is very actively covering their course and requirements - and not only their own, but also Russia, and this is unprofessional.

Usually such discussions are held in the diplomatic lobby until the adoption of the final agreement.

You have to understand: for Biden, the release of Greiner is a serious PR.

After all, she is not only a two-time Olympic champion, but also a representative of the LGBT community.

I think the Americans will do everything possible to meet the demands of the Russian Federation, ”Yarmush said.

The lawyer explained that she does not know all the intricacies of the process, therefore she cannot give accurate forecasts, but she assumes that the exchange of prisoners will take place in the near future.

“I think that within a month or two the United States will try to satisfy all the requirements and settle the necessary formalities.

After that, Greiner and Paul Whelan will return to their homeland, and the Russians imprisoned in the States will follow in the opposite direction, ”added Yarmush.

The well-known commentator Vladimir Gomelsky is also sure of this.

He also cited the Greiner trade as the most likely way to end the story and suggested that it would happen soon enough.

“The crime itself is described, an article in the criminal code provides for such a punishment, but she does not have the upper limit of this punishment.

It is clear that she will not sit for a year, she will be exchanged.

Is this a political decision?

I am afraid of these words about politics, and the fact that it will most likely be exchanged for Bout, I think this is a settled issue, ”said Gomelsky.

The only problem is whether the public statements of the US representatives will become a stumbling block in the event of a possible exchange.

This was indirectly hinted at by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who noted that Moscow was ready to discuss the topic of prisoner exchange, and recalled the existence of a special channel for such purposes.

“If the Americans decide to resort to public diplomacy again and make loud announcements, statements that they are now going to take such and such steps, this is their business, their problem,” Lavrov said at a press conference.