WNBA star Brittney Griner’s appeal of drug conviction denied in Russia
WNBA star Brittney Griner’s drug conviction appeal was denied Tuesday in Russia, where the athlete has been incarcerated since February.
The decision at the Moscow Regional Court maintains the nine-year prison sentence given to Griner in August, but states that every day she was detained before her trial will count as a day and a half, meaning she’ll serve about eight years in real time.
Griner was arrested after Russian officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow.
In July, Griner pleaded guilty to possessing the substance, saying she packed the canisters by accident. Her legal team argued she was prescribed cannabis as a form of pain treatment.
“I made an honest mistake, and I hope that in your ruling, it doesn’t end my life here,” Griner said in court at the time.
The sentence given to Griner was just short of the 10-year maximum penalty.
Brittney Griner in a Khimki courtroom, near Moscow, in July. (Alexander Zemlianichenko/)
The 6-foot-9 Griner, who appeared at Tuesday’s hearing through a video call from a Russian penal colony, is a member of the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and plays basketball in Russia during the the U.S. league’s off-season.
The U.S. State Department previously described Griner as being “wrongfully detained,” while President Biden called her conviction “unacceptable.”
“I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends and teammates,” Biden said.
Biden hasn’t publicly confirmed reports of a possible prisoner exchange, but did say in July that the U.S. made a “substantial proposal” for the release of Griner and another American, Paul Whelan, who is imprisoned in Russia on a 16-year espionage sentence.
Following Tuesday’s appeal rejection, U.S. civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton called for Russia to release Griner, saying he’s “deeply concerned” about her mental health.
“What else must Brittney Griner do to show she has suffered enough?” Sharpton said. “She has told every judge, official, and citizen that she regrets her mistake. Even by Russian standards, this was a harsh sentence that did not match the crime. Brittney has spent nearly a year behind bars for it without seeing her wife, her family, or her teammates. Now she must go through that experience another nine times — thousands of miles away from her home.
A former first-overall pick in the WNBA Draft, the 32-year-old Griner is an eight-time All-Star who led the Mercury to a league championship in 2014. The two-time defensive player of the year has averaged 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game during her nine WNBA seasons.
The Houston-born Griner also won a pair of Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women’s basketball team, as well as an NCAA title with the Baylor Bears.
With News Wire Services
