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Here’s When Brittney Griner’s Drug Sentence Appeal Will Be Heard

WNBA star Brittney Griner will return to a Russian court on Tuesday, Oct. 25 to appeal her nine-year prison sentence. She was arrested in February on drug-related charges and has been detained in the country since.

The appeal comes two months after her conviction.

A court convicted Griner on the charges back in August. Authorities located vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage at a Moscow airport. Per Russian law, Griner could’ve received a sentence of 10 years.

Griner pleaded guilty to the charges while in court during the summer. Her defense team argued that she unintentionally left the cartridges in her luggage and that she had been prescribed cannabis in the United State.

Many claim that Griner has been wrongfully detained in the country and that she’s been used as a “political prisoner.” President Joe Biden has prioritized efforts to bring the WNBA star back to the country, but there’s been no luck thus far.

Warriors’ Steph Curry Shows Support for Brittney Griner

Since February, a number of professional athletes and celebrities have expressed support for Brittney Griner. That continued last week, as the NBA season tipped off.

Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry shared a message while speaking to fans during the team’s season opener — which also happened to be Griner’s birthday.

“We are going to continue to let her name be known and we pray… it’s 243 days that she’s been wrongfully incarcerated in Russia, we hope that she comes home soon and everybody’s doing their part to get her home,” he said.

United States officials continue to work to bring Griner back to the country. So far, Russia has not agreed to a prisoner swap or her release.