Brittney Griner appeal date set in Russia for later this month
Brittney Griner, the women’s pro basketball standout currently incarcerated in Russia on a drug-possession conviction, has an appeal hearing set for Oct. 25 in a Moscow court, officials announced Monday.
Griner was detained in February after authorities said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport.
The 31-year-old WNBA star pleaded guilty to possessing the substance in July, saying she accidentally packed the canisters. Her lawyers contended she was prescribed cannabis to treat pain and showed a doctor’s note in court.
“I made an honest mistake, and I hope that in your ruling, it doesn’t end my life here,” Griner told the Russian court at the time.
In August, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison, just shy of a maximum 10-year sentence. She filed her appeal later that month.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted from a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, on Aug. 4, 2022. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/)
Griner was arrested shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. State Department arguing the athlete is being used in Russia’s political posturing. Her arrest took place when she was in Russia to play basketball during the WNBA offseason.
Her situation has attracted widespread attention in the United States, including from President Biden, who called her conviction “unacceptable” and vowed to fight for her release.
“I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates,” Biden said.
Biden in July said the U.S. made a “substantial proposal” for Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan to be returned to the U.S., reportedly in a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in Marion, Ill. Whelan is incarcerated in Russia for espionage. It is unclear what progress has been made in discussions of a prisoner swap.
The 6-foot-9 Griner plays center for the Phoenix Mercury, who selected her first overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft. She is an eight-time WNBA all-star and two-time defensive player of the year, and won a championship with the Mercury in 2014.
The Houston-born Griner has averaged 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks in 254 career WNBA games. Before her professional career, she led the Baylor Bears to an undefeated season and an NCAA championship in 2012.
She has also won two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women’s basketball team.
With News Wire Services
