Brittney Griner to Be Sent to Penal Colony After Russian Court Rejects Appeal

US, Russia pursuing negotiations on possible prisoner swap
Biden has pledged to secure release of Griner, other American

Brittney Griner displayed on a screen via a video link from a remand prison during a court hearing to consider an appeal against her sentence at a Moscow regional court, on Oct. 25.Photographer: Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images

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By Bloomberg News

October 25, 2022 at 12:37 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

A Russian court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by WNBA star Brittney Griner against her nine-year sentence for drug smuggling, Interfax reported.

The ruling means Griner, 32, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, will leave pre-trial detention near Moscow and be sent to serve her prison term in a penal colony elsewhere in Russia.