A Russian appeals court upheld Brittney Griner‘s nine-year drug smuggling sentence.
President Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement, “the President has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home.”
The White House has made little headway, however, since Griner was arrested in February at a Moscow airport for her alleged possession of vape cartridges containing hashish oil.
In August, she was sentenced to nine years in Russian prison after being convicted of possession and smuggling of cannabis oil.
Sullivan called Griner’s latest court appeal “another sham judicial proceeding,” and said that “Brittney should be released immediately.”
The Women’s National Basketball Players Association released a statement Tuesday on Twitter supporting Griner.
“Brittney has repeatedly taken responsibility and made clear that she never intended to break Russian laws,” the statement said. “This appeal is further verification that BG is not just wrongfully detained – she is very clearly a hostage.”
Other celebrities have taken to Twitter to demand justice for the WNBA player, including fellow basketball star Breanna Stewart and writer Roxane Gay.
Before her detainment, Griner was a standout in the WNBA.
She was selected by the Phoenix Mercury as a first-overall draft pick in 2013. Griner became the third woman to dunk in a WNBA game and the first woman to do so twice in one game. She helped the U.S. win two consecutive gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.
Like many WNBA players, Griner spent her off-season playing overseas to cash-in on the more lucrative salaries offered by foreign women’s basketball associations.
She played in China before moving to Russia, where she had continued to play during her off-seasons since the 2014-2015 off-season.
President Joe Biden met with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, in September “to reiterate his continued commitment to working through all available avenues.”
Sullivan said they “remain in regular touch with representatives of the families” during ongoing negotiations.
