Greiner’s lawyers were disappointed by the Moscow Regional Court’s decision on a nine-year term for the basketball player

American basketball player’s lawyers Britney Griner Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boikov said they were disappointed with the decision of the Moscow Regional Court not to reduce the athlete’s prison term.

On Tuesday, the Moscow Regional Court approved Greiner’s nine-year term in a colony for drug trafficking. The 31-year-old athlete was arrested in February while trying to illegally import hash oil through Sheremetyevo airport. On August 4, the athlete was sentenced by the Khimki city court to 9 years in a penal colony for drug trafficking.

– How would you comment on the court decision, was it expected?

We are disappointed that the court did not find it possible to change the verdict. The prison sentence set does not correspond to existing judicial practice. Other defendants in similar criminal cases usually receive a suspended or actual prison sentence not exceeding 6 years. Thus, Brittney Greiner remains one of the most severely punished prisoners in Russia. Brittney didn’t expect much, but she really hoped for a reduced sentence, because in the event that she had to serve the full length of her sentence in Russia, every month and day of that sentence mattered to her.

Are you going to appeal the decision?

We need to discuss this with our client. We believe that we must use all available legal instruments and take into account the severity of the penalty.

What will happen to Greiner? Where and when will it be moved?

– The appropriate decision is usually made by the Federal Penitentiary Service, taking into account many factors. The adoption of such a decision, the execution of documents and the transfer of the convict to another place may take several months. Since Brittney is a citizen of another state, the file must be translated into English, which will take even longer. We will follow the progress of the case and keep you informed,” representatives for Greiner told reporters.