Russian Court Denies Brittney Griner Appeal
On Tuesday, a Russian court denied the appeal of American WNBA player Brittney Griner. In August, Griner was convicted on drug charges after being arrested at a Russian airport in February earlier this year. At the hearing, the 32-year-old basketballer was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian penal colony.
Griner attended the hearing via video conference from the detention center where she is currently being housed. Griner looked visibly upset as the ruling was handed down, and her attorneys expressed their disappointment and said the ruling was “not what we expected.”
“I’ve been here almost eight months, and people with more severe crimes have been given less than what I was given,” Griner said Tuesday, via video conference.
“I really hope the court will adjust this sentence…it has been very, very stressful and very traumatic to my mental and my psyche and being away from my family, not being able to communicate.”
Griner’s attorneys joined her sentiment.
“We are very disappointed,” they said. “We still think the punishment is excessive.”
When she was arrested, Brittney Griner was in possession of vape cartridges of cannabis in her luggage. One cartridge contained 0.252 grams (0.008 ounces) and 0.45 grams (0.015 ounces). Griner was in possession of less than one whole gram.
“President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately,” said National Security Adviser Jack Sullivan.
According to Sullivan, the President has been engaging with Russia in recent weeks to try and “bring Brittney home” as well as other Americans currently detained in Russia, including detainee Paul Whelan. Whelan was arrested on espionage charges, to which the United States claims were falsely applied.
In recent weeks, it was thought that Russia was considering the idea of a prisoner swap for Griner and Whelan, however, that remains unclear now. After her appearance in the Russian court today, Griner’s attorneys now say their biggest fear is that said prisoner swap will not take place and Griner will be forced to serve out her entire 9-year sentence in a Russian penal colony.
It is unlikely that Griner will appear before a Russian court again unless it is to release her to the United States. In the event that she serves the duration of her sentence in Russia, the time Griner has already spent in detention will count toward her total number of days overall.
We’ve been following this story closely over the last few months. If you’re new to Brittney Griner’s conviction and struggle for freedom, click here.
