Russian court upholds US basketball star Brittney Griner’s nine-year prison sentence, denies appeal



A Russian court rejected U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner’s appeal on Tuesday over her nine-year sentence for drug smuggling.

Griner was taken into custody in February and was tried and sentenced in August for possessing and smuggling vape cartridges containing cannabis oil when she had flown into Moscow.

U.S. charge d’affaires Elizabeth Rood spoke after the appeal was denied, calling the sentence “excessive and disproportionate.”

Griner’s lawyer Maria Blagovolina said the legal team would look into further options, saying a second appeal was possible but it was the basketball star’s decision to make.

For more info, please go to https://globalnews.ca/news/9224321/russia-rejects-brittney-griner-appeal/

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