Russia Rejected An Appeal By Brittney Griner For Her 9 Year Prison Sentence

She was convicted after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage at an airport in Moscow.

A hearing has wrapped for Brittney Griner on her appeal against a nine year prison sentence for drug possession in Russia.

On August 4th, the eight-time All-Star center with the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist was returning to Russia where she played during the U.S. league’s off-season. She was convicted after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage at an airport in Moscow.

Griner claimed that she did not mean to pack them and explained she had no criminal intent. The U.S. has argued that Griner was “wrongfully detained” which Russia immediately rejected.

On Tuesday she lost her appeal, however her time served in prison will be recalculated with her time in pre-trail detention taken into account. She will now serve about eight years instead of nine.