Brittney Griner

2022 - 10 - 26

Post cover
Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

US basketball star Brittney Griner's appeal rejected by Russian court (The Guardian)

Court rejects appeal against nine-year prison sentence for drugs possession and smuggling.

“Brittney’s biggest fear is that she is not exchanged and will have to serve the whole sentence in Russia,” they said. “President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately. “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.” “I beg that the court takes in all of the stakes that was overlooked in the first court and reassess my sentence here,” Griner said, according to ABC News, apologising for her “mistake” and saying it has been “traumatic” to be away from her family. Although Griner’s legal team said she was not “expecting any miracles” from the appeals process, the decision nonetheless would be a blow to the sports star, who pleaded guilty to the drug charges in July and has thrown herself several times on the mercy of the Russian court only to be given an unusually harsh sentence, even for Russia. [Russia](https://www.theguardian.com/world/russia).

Post cover
Image courtesy of "BBC News"

Brittney Griner: Russian court rejects appeal over jail term (BBC News)

The US basketball star argues her nine-year jail term is disproportionate but the sentence is upheld.

A top US diplomat, who attended the hearing, called the sentence "excessive and disproportionate". The White House called the legal proceedings a "sham". In August, the Kremlin posed the possibility of a prisoner swap between the US and Russia involving the basketball player.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "Texas Tribune"

Brittney Griner's 9-year prison sentence upheld by Russian court (Texas Tribune)

The Texas basketball star had asked for a suspended sentence. The White House is calling for her release.

[mission](/about): creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. “Once that hearing is held and the order is finalized … Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune’s journalism. Experts have said the length of her sentence appears politically motivated. Multiple news outlets reported that Griner’s lawyer had asked for a suspended sentence in Tuesday’s appeal but had said they Griner was arrested in a Moscow airport in February after airport officials discovered vape canisters and cannabis oil in her luggage.

Post cover
Image courtesy of "ESPN Australia"

Brittney Griner Russia drug case timeline - Prison, trial, more (ESPN Australia)

More than 250 days have passed since Brittney Griner was detained in Russia. We've tracked her arrest, trial, President Biden's efforts and reactions from ...

[sentenced to nine years in prison](/wnba/story/_/id/34346379/brittney-griner-found-guilty-drug-possession-smuggling). After Griner's conviction, Blagovolina and Boykov said the sentence was excessive and that in similar cases, defendants have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them granted parole. At the same time, the Russian state news agency TASS publishes a story saying there were negotiations between the United States and Russia to exchange Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian man serving a 25-year sentence in the United States for financing terrorism. Their appearance is believed to be the first in-person contact Griner has had with anyone she knows -- other than the Russian attorneys hired for her case -- since she was arrested Feb. 17, the day the WNBA star was arrested in Russia. 18, her 32nd birthday and the night of the [Golden State Warriors](/nba/team/_/name/gs/golden-state-warriors)' ring ceremony, telling the crowd, "We hope that she comes home soon, and that everybody's doing their part to get her home." The United States will seek to negotiate her release rather than wait for the Russian case against her to come to a conclusion. The source close to Griner said they have gotten frequent updates on her from her team of Russian attorneys. Griner was returning to play for club team UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where she has competed in the WNBA offseason since 2014. The United States continues to try to negotiate for her freedom, along with that of fellow American prisoner Paul Whelan. She was expected to be part of all of it, just as she had been for the past decade as a star center for the Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison in August, and her appeal was denied Oct.

Explore the last week