A Russian court on Tuesday upheld the sentence handed down to American basketball star Brittney Griner over drug smuggling charges. The 32-year-old WNBA athlete now faces nine years in a penal colony unless a higher court overturns the three Moscow judges’ ruling, or U.S. authorities are able to negotiate a deal for her release. At the hearing Tuesday, Griner said she was sorry for her “mistake,” adding: “I did not intend to do this.” Her defense attorney, Alexander Boykov, also described the sentence as not just severe but “cruel,” according to reports. Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her possession.
