ABOVE: Brittney Griner. Photo via Phoenix Mercury/Facebook.
MOSCOW | A Russian appellate court on Oct. 25 upheld the 9-year sentence in a penal colony that WNBA star Brittney Griner received after her conviction for smuggling drugs into the country.
Officials at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February detained Griner — a Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist who is a lesbian and married to her wife, Cherelle Griner — after customs inspectors allegedly found hashish oil in her luggage. The State Department has determined that Russia “wrongfully detained” her.
A court on Aug. 4 convicted Brittney Griner of smuggling drugs into the country and sentenced her to nine years in a penal colony. She appealed the sentence.
Cherelle Griner last month met with President Joe Biden at the White House.
American officials have publicly acknowledged their willingness to release Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer who is serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S., as part of a deal to secure the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, another American citizen who is serving a 16-year prison sentence in Russia after his conviction for spying.
“We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today,” said National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan in a statement. “President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately.”
“In recent weeks, the Biden-Harris administration has continued to engage with Russia through every available channel and make every effort to bring home Brittney as well as to support and advocate for other Americans detained in Russia, including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan,” added Sullivan. “The president has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home, as his administration has done successfully from countries around the world. The administration remains in regular touch with representatives of the families, and we continue to admire their courage in the face of these unimaginable circumstances.”
It is currently unclear whether Brittney Griner’s lawyers will appeal the ruling.
