American basketball player Britney Griner, who was sentenced by the Khimki city court to nine years in prison for drug possession and smuggling, has filed an appeal, Russian media reported on Monday, Aug. athlete lawyers Marina Blagovolina and Alexander. Boykov.

Defenders asked the court to issue a not guilty verdict or to impose a sentence below the lower limit. The date for the appeal has not yet been announced. Britney Greiner was sentenced on August 4th.

Negotiations for a possible exchange

In late July – even before the conclusion of Greiner’s trial – it was reported that the US and Russia were in talks to exchange her and Paul Whelan, convicted of espionage, for Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who in 2012 was convicted in the United States. to 25 years in prison on illegal arms trade charges.

In early August, the US presidential government reported that Russia had made a counter-offer for an exchange, but the White House rejected it as frivolous. Specific details of this proposal were not provided.

Previously, there were cases where foreign nationals sentenced in Russia were exchanged only after the President of the Russian Federation signed their pardon petitions.