Britney Griner: Russian court denies appeal against nine-year prison term for drug possession

After Tuesday's rejection, Britney Griner will be sentenced to nine years in a prison colony unless the US government can work out a deal for her release. She has been detained for eight months, she was discovered with illegal cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow airport. It was harder to gain the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star's release because of geopolitical circumstances when she was detained just before Russia started its war in Ukraine, according to reports.

During the appeal hearing on Tuesday, the defense attorney mirrored the arguments made by his colleague, claiming that the penalty was not only inconsistent with international legal standards but also with Russian legal custom.

Several of the WNBA star's family, friends, supporters, and prominent personalities have been pleading with Russia to release her and for the US State Department to step in.

The Russian government produces evidence.

The Russian government presented evidence at her trial over the summer that she purchased two cartridges for personal use, which included 0.252 grams and 0.45 grams of hash oil.



Griner apologised once more for her "error" but reiterated that she had not planned to break any laws when she delivered her closing sentence.

According to the court's decision, her prison sentence will be revised to account for her time in pre-trial custody. Pre-trial detention counts as 1.5 days of prison time, meaning she will spend about eight years behind bars.

FAQs:

1. What did Britney Griner plead?
   Britney Griner pleaded guilty to illicit narcotics possession in July and received a nine-year sentence in August.
2. How long had Britney Griner been detained?
   WNBA star Britney Griner has been detained for eight months now.