According to multiple reports, Brittany Greiner has lost her appeal after a Russian court sentenced her to nine years in prison for drug smuggling. Greiner could be sent to prison unless the U.S. and Russian governments negotiate her release.
According to multiple reports, Greiner emerged from a leaked video from his detention facility on Sunday. The decision was made by a three-judge panel of the Krasnogorsk Appeals Court outside Moscow.
“Britney is a very strong person and has the personality of a champion,” her attorney said in a statement Monday, according to The New York Times. “She has her ups and downs, of course, as she has been under extreme stress from being away from her loved ones for more than eight months.”
Greiner has been detained in Russia since February 17 after authorities at a Moscow regional airport said they found hashish oil in a vape cartridge in her luggage. Hashish oil is illegal in Russia, and possession of it carries severe penalties, as Greiner’s case illustrates.
BG played overseas during the WNBA offseason, returning to Russia in February after the FIBA break to join her Euroleague Russian team, UMMC Ekaterinburg. Griner’s sentencing and treatment have drawn criticism and concern from WNBA players who play overseas to supplement their WNBA salaries.
Greiner was arrested on suspicion of illegal possession of less than a gram of hashish oil, then charged with “large-scale drug transportation,” and went to trial in July, according to the lawsuit. Greiner eventually pleaded guilty to the charges, telling the judge she accidentally packed the cannabis oil while rushing to leave Russia. Greiner’s defense team said her doctor prescribed her cannabis for chronic pain, and medical marijuana is legal in Phoenix.
On August 4, a Russian court found Greiner guilty of drug smuggling and illegal possession and sentenced him to nine years in prison. The U.S. State Department and the White House have since begun negotiations for a prisoner swap. Earlier this month, the White House made a “substantial offer” and urged Russian authorities to accept it or “come up with a strong counteroffer.”
The deal involved exchanging arms dealer Victor Bout for Greiner and Paul Whelan, another American who was arrested and convicted on espionage charges. Whelan was sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020, but has repeatedly denied the charges and maintained his innocence.
