A Russian court has denied an appeal from WNBA player Brittney Griner's appeal of a nine-year prison sentence on drug charges, according to NBC News.
Griner had been hoping for a reduction to the sentence after the Oct. 24 proceedings.
The athlete, who is a lesbian, was arrested last February at Sheremetyevo International Airport for carrying vaporizer cartridges containing less than a gram of hash oil. Barring successful intervention by U.S. authoritiesaccording to experts, her best hope now is for a prisoner exchangeGriner would ultimately be transferred to a penal colony to serve the sentence.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan issued a statement calling the appeal hearing a "sham."
Sullivan added: "President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately. 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 [who is serving a 16-year sentence for spying]. 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."
NBC News' story is at www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/brittney-griner-russia-appeal-decision-rcna53816.