Brittney Griner’s Appeal for 9-Year Prison Sentence Denied

A Russian court has denied the appeal of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is being held in the country on charges related to possession of marijuana products. She is currently in a penal colony outside Moscow.

Griner, who was arrested in February and convicted in August, faces an official nine-year prison sentence. However, her months in detention counts toward that time, according to ESPN — so the total sentence is around eight years.

U.S. officials have said they are working to bring Griner home through diplomatic channels. 

Over the summer, the State Department classified her as “wrongfully detained.” Since then, both U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden have claimed they have been negotiating with Russian officials.

There has been little reported success with these efforts, however, as diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Russia are as strained as ever. Griner was arrested just a few days before Russia invaded Ukraine.