A Moscow region court said it will hear an appeal on Oct. 25 for Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner.
In February she was arrested in the country after vaping cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage.
At the beginning of August, she was sentenced to over 9 years in prison, just short of the 10 year maximum for her drug possession and smuggling charges.
Griner admitted that she had the canisters in her luggage, but testified that she had inadvertently packed them in haste and that she had no criminal intent. Her defense team presented written statements that she had been prescribed cannabis to treat pain.
Her February arrest came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, just days before Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At the time, Griner, recognized as one of the greatest players in WNBA history, was returning to Russia, where she played during the U.S. league’s offseason.
