Russian court upholds Brittney Griner's drug smuggling conviction - CNN

CNN  — 

[Breaking quality update astatine 8:40 a.m. ET]

A justice successful Russia has near US hoops prima Brittney Griner’s verdict successful place, decreasing lone somewhat her condemnation of 9 years successful prison.

[Previous story, published astatine 8:29 a.m. ET]

Brittney Griner’s attorneys are appealing her verdict successful a Russian court Tuesday, astir 3 months aft the US hoops prima was convicted of smuggling drugs into the state and sentenced to 9 years successful prison.

Griner’s entreaty is being considered successful the Moscow Regional Court, with an result expected Tuesday aft her attorneys argued the verdict was unfair and unjustified nether Russian law. They urged the tribunal to acquit her, calling her condemnation disproportionate and the erstwhile tribunal ruling incorrect successful saying Griner had transgression intent.

“No lawyer volition beryllium capable to accidental successful each honesty that this verdict is successful enactment with Russian judicial practice,” defence lawyer Alexander Boykov said.

Griner, 32, attended the proceeding via video league from her detention halfway – Correctional Colony No. 1 successful Novoye Grishino, northbound of Moscow – speaking concisely to corroborate her name, according to her ineligible team. It was not wide if she would marque immoderate much statements during the hearing, which began 2 hours aboriginal than scheduled astatine the petition of her lawyers, who didn’t springiness a crushed for the little postponement.

The tribunal proceeding the entreaty tin take to permission Griner’s verdict successful place, overrule it and nonstop it backmost to the little court, oregon trim Griner’s situation term, according to the lawyers, Boykov of the Moscow Legal Center and Maria Blagovolina, a spouse astatine Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Partners instrumentality firm.

If the Khimki metropolis court’s determination is upheld, the “legal process volition beryllium fundamentally over,” Boykov said. In the meantime, Griner, a two-time US Olympic golden medalist, is acrophobic she volition person to service retired the remainder of her condemnation successful Russia if her entreaty is unsuccessful and if the United States and Russia can’t onslaught a woody for a captive swap, helium said.

The US State Department has maintained Griner is wrongfully detained, and her lawsuit has prompted interest that she is being utilized arsenic a governmental pawn amid the backdrop of Russia’s warfare against Ukraine. The Biden medication precocious communicated with Russia to effort to unafraid the merchandise of Griner and imprisoned American Paul Whelan, a elder medication authoritative told CNN past week.

Griner was initially taken into custody astatine a Moscow airdrome connected February 17 – days earlier the commencement of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – erstwhile authorities accused her of trying to smuggle little than a gram of cannabis lipid successful her luggage. Griner plays successful Russia during the WNBA’s offseason.

Follow unrecorded updates: Russia’s warfare successful Ukraine

The All-Star halfway for the Phoenix Mercury pleaded guilty to cause charges, telling the tribunal during her proceedings that vape cartridges containing the cannabis lipid were successful her luggage due to the fact that she had packed her bags successful a hurry.

In tribunal Tuesday, Blagovolina formed uncertainty connected the Russian introspection of Griner’s alleged cause use, calling the results of that introspection “doubtful and unconfirmed.” “Continuous narcotic substance usage is incompatible with a vocation arsenic a nonrecreational athlete,” she added.

Both attorneys antecedently indicated they felt Griner’s nine-year condemnation was extreme, with Blagovolina calling it “very terrible for this benignant of transgression and this magnitude of this substance.”

Ahead of the hearing, Blagovolina and Boykov called Griner a “strong person” with a “champion’s character” who was nevertheless “severely stressed being separated from her loved ones for implicit 8 months.”

“She is precise tense waiting for the entreaty hearing,” they added successful a written connection to CNN. “Brittney does not expect immoderate miracles to hap but hopes that the entreaty tribunal volition perceive the arguments of the defence and trim the term.”

While Griner’s lawsuit plays out, US officials person separately projected a imaginable captive swap with Russia, offering to speech convicted Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout for Griner and Whelan, an American national who’s been held by Russia for alleged espionage since 2018. Whelan, who has consistently denied the charges, was convicted and sentenced successful June 2020 to 16 years successful prison.

Despite the “pretty persistent” gait of discussions betwixt the US and Russia to unafraid the Americans’ release, the authoritative said the Biden medication has yet to person a superior counteroffer from the Russian side.

“They’re not nonresponsive. I would accidental that they proceed to respond with thing that they cognize not to beryllium feasible oregon available,” the authoritative said of the Russian response.

Former Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico – whose namesake halfway works connected behalf of families of hostages and detainees, and who precocious traveled to Russia to sermon the imaginable merchandise of Griner and Whelan – precocious said helium was “cautiously optimistic” the 2 Americans could beryllium released.

Richardson, who besides served arsenic US ambassador to the United Nations nether President Bill Clinton, said he’s moving with some their families and coordinating with the White House to enactment toward their releases. The erstwhile politician played a relation successful the merchandise of Trevor Reed, an American seasoned detained successful Russia for 3 years before his merchandise successful April.

Meanwhile, Griner’s woman Cherelle and their supporters person continued to highlight her lawsuit and support enactment and unit to guarantee she’s brought home, starting a #WeAreBG run connected societal media. After months of pushing, Cherelle Griner met past period with Biden, telling CNN the gathering illustrated the administration’s committedness to bringing her woman home.

“It wasn’t a gathering wherever the President told maine the quality that I privation to hear,” Cherelle Griner said. “It wasn’t that, but it was 1 of those inactive pivotal meetings wherever … it allowed maine to person assurance successful what he’s doing close now.”

As for Griner, she turned 32 past week, celebrating her day successful a compartment successful the suburbs of Moscow, her attorneys told CNN. They spent a fewer hours with her successful an effort to “cheer her up” arsenic overmuch arsenic they could, relaying day messages from astir the world.

“Thank you everyone for warring truthful hard to get maine home,” Griner said successful a connection shared by her attorneys. “All the enactment and emotion are decidedly helping me.”