KRASNOGORSK, Russia (Reuters) -A Russian court on Tuesday began hearing an appeal by U.S. WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner against her conviction and nine-year jail sentence for possession and smuggling of drugs, but promptly adjourned for two hours at her lawyers’ request.
Three judges were presiding over the appeals court in Krasnogorsk near Moscow, where Griner was represented by her lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov. Griner was taking part via video link from a detention centre in the town of Novoye Grishino, just outside Moscow.
The two-time Olympic gold medallist was arrested on Feb. 17 at a Moscow airport with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia. She was sentenced on Aug. 4 to nine years in a penal colony.
The hearing was due to resume at 1 p.m. (1000 GMT).
(Reporting by Filipp Lebedev and Olesya Astakhova; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
