US basketball star Brittney Griner's appeal rejected by Russian court

Brittney: The two-time Olympic gold medallist, was arrested on 17 February at a Moscow airport.

32 years old, Brittney was found with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia.

Her trial began in July 2022, she stated that the cannabis oil had been packed accidentally.

Griner’s lawyers later stated that she had a medical prescription for the drug.

On 4 August, Griner was found guilty of smuggling illegal drugs with criminal intent, and she was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony.

Now that her appeal has failed, Griner could be moved to one of Russia’s prison colonies within weeks.

This came between reports that the United States and Russia were discussing a prisoner swap involving Griner and several others.