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The two-time Olympic gold medallist was arrested on Feb. 17 at a
Moscow airport with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in
her luggage, and was sentenced on Aug. 4 to nine years in a
penal colony on drug smuggling charges. Her appeal is due to be
heard next Tuesday.
"All the support and love are definitely helping me," Griner was
quoted as saying by her lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander
Boykov, who spent several hours with her in the Moscow pre-trial
detention centre where she is being held.
Griner pleaded guilty at her trial but said she had made an
"honest mistake" and not meant to break the law. Cannabis is
illegal in Russia for both medicinal and recreational purposes.
"Today is of course a difficult day for Brittney," said
Blagovolina, who is representing Griner in court.
"Not only is this her birthday in jail away from her family,
team mates and friends, but she is very stressed in anticipation
of the appeal hearing on Oct. 25."
Washington says Griner was wrongfully detained and has offered
to exchange her for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a
25-year prison sentence in the United States. It said last week
it had had no consular access to her since August.
Moscow has also suggested it is open to a prisoner swap.
Bill Richardson, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations
who travelled to Moscow in September, has said he believes
Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan could both be released
by the end of the year.
(Reporting by Filipp Lebedev; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Angus
MacSwan)
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