Brittney Griner lost her appeal and will now begin a 9-year sentence in one of Russia’s infamous penal colonies

Brittney Griner behind bars in Russia. Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool/AP Photo Brittney Griner lost her appeal for a reduced sentence after a drug smuggling conviction in Russia. The WNBA star was arrested at a Moscow airport in February, when agents found hashish oil in her luggage.

Griner will now begin her initial nine-year sentence in one of Russia’s infamous penal colonies.    A Russian court denied Brittney Griner’s appeal for a reduced prison sentence Tuesday. Though the WNBA superstar and two-time Olympic gold medalist did “not expect any miracles” — as her lawyers, Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov, said in a statement provided to Insider — she maintained some hope that the judges on the case would “hear the arguments of the defense and reduce the number of years” she’d have to spend in one of Russia’s infamous penal colonies.

Instead, Griner’s worst nightmare was reinforced; the courts upheld the initial nine-year sentence that everyone, from fellow sports superstars to US President Joe Biden, deemed “unacceptable. “Griner. Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via REUTERS”Brittney is very mentally strong and has a champion’s character,” Blagovolina and Boykov said in their joint statement.

“However, she of course has her highs and lows as she is under an increasing amount of stress and has been separated from her loved ones for over eight months. “They added that while Griner was “prepared for the appeal,” she was “very nervous” in the days leading up to the ruling. The eight-time WNBA All-Star was first arrested in February, when customs agents at a Moscow airport found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Ever since, Griner has been navigating an inconsistent Russian legal system known to be hostile towards Americans. Griner is escorted through a Russian courthouse. Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool/ReutersHer pre-trial detention was extended several times, and once she finally found herself in front of a judge, Griner came up against “a kangaroo court” less interested in justice than in bringing the state’s “predetermined” outcome to fruition, sources told Insider ahead of the trial.

Though she pleaded guilty in an effort to secure leniency, the 6-foot-9 Phoenix Mercury star was sentenced to a near-maximum nine years at a Russian penal colony. She and her lawyers almost immediately appealed the decision, though legal experts told Insider the move was never likely to secure her freedom. Griner’s most promising pathway out of foreign custody involves a prisoner exchange between the White House and the Kremlin.

Though the US has reportedly offered to swap notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for the return of Griner and fellow American Paul Whelan, American government officials have maintained that they have yet to receive a serious counteroffer out of Moscow. Russian arms smuggler Viktor Bout, center, is led by armed Thai police commandoes as he arrives at the criminal court in Bangkok, Thailand. AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong, FileUnderstandably, Griner has not been in a good headspace in recent weeks as a result, her wife has said in recent interviews.

The WNBA star recently celebrated her 32nd birthday inside a jail cell thousands of miles from home, and she understands that she’s unlikely to leave Russia before the November 8 midterm elections back in the United States. Though the timeline could take anywhere from weeks to months, according to her lawyers, Griner will now make her way to one of Russia’s notoriously brutal penal colonies, where abuse is common, disease is rampant, and labor is forced. In a statement released from National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan Tuesday morning, the White House committed to continue making “every effort to bring home Brittney as well as to support and advocate for other Americans detained in Russia, including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan.

“Griner. Alexander Zemlianichenko/Pool/Reuters”President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately,” the statement read. “In recent weeks, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to engage with Russia through every available channel.

“The President has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home, as his Administration has done successfully from countries around the world. “Read the original article on Insider.