WNBA star Brittney Griner’s nine-year prison sentence was upheld by a Russian court Tuesday, as her appeal was rejected.
The Mercury star and Olympic gold medalist was arrested at a Moscow airport in February, accused of transporting hashish oil in her luggage. She pleaded guilty to the charges in July, with her attorneys arguing she had no intention of breaking the law.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan released a statement once again stating Griner is being “wrongfully detained” by Russia after “another sham judicial proceeding.”
“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,” Sullivan said, via CNN’s Natasha Bertrand. “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.”
ESPN’s T.J. Quinn, who broke the news Tuesday morning, said the rejection was a “completely expected result” as the U.S. continues its attempts to negotiate with Russia to free Griner. Quinn adds that, while Griner is set to serve her sentence at a penal colony, it could take “weeks or months to transfer her,” leaving a potential negotiation window open.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert shared similar sentiments in a statement after Tuesday’s decision.
“Today’s decision while unfortunate, was not unexpected and Brittney Griner remains wrongly detained,” Engelbert said. “We greatly appreciate the ongoing efforts of the Administration and U.S. Department of State in leading the negotiations. It is time to bring this case to an end and bring BG home.”
The U.S. has reportedly offered convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in a potential swap deal for Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan.
According to the Associated Press, Griner’s time served will be recalculated to count days spent in pretrial detention as 1.5 days in prison, reducing her total sentence to around eight more years.
