Griner lawyers: Verdict contains ‘numerous defects’

The attorneys for detained WNBA star Brittney Griner said that the Russian court’s decision to uphold the basketball star’s nine-year prison sentence contains “numerous defects.”

“No, it is not what we expected. We are very disappointed,” Griner’s attorneys Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov said in a joint statement on Tuesday. “The verdict contains numerous defects and we hoped that the court of appeal would take them into consideration. We still think the punishment is excessive and contradicts to the existing court practice.” 

In a statement on Tuesday, Blagovolina and Boykov said that their client is “disappointed” with the outcome of her appeal hearing. 

The attorneys also said that Griner fears she will serve her entire sentence in Russia. 

“Brittney’s biggest fear is that she is not exchanged and will have to serve the whole sentence in Russia,” the statement added. “She had hopes for today as each month, each day away from her family and friends matters to her.” 

A Russian regional court on Tuesday denied Griner’s appeal to reduce or throw out her initial nine-year sentence for carrying cannabis oil cartridges in a Moscow airport.

However, the regional court did account for her time served in pretrial detention, leaving her eight years in prison. 

Griner, who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, has been detained in Russia since February. Authorities arrested Griner a few days after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.  

Fellow NBA players such as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving have used their platforms to advocate for Griner’s release from Russia. 

The Biden administration has made Griner’s case a top priority, along with the case of detained former U.S. Marine Paul Whalen, saying that both individuals are wrongfully detained in the country. 

In a statement, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the administration is aware of the news, adding that officials will continue to negotiate with Russia to bring Griner and Whalen back on U.S. soil.