The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. October 26, 2022 Russian Court Upholds Brittney Griner's Sentence, Upping Pressure on Biden to Negotiate Her Release --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A Russian court on Tuesday rejected an appeal by WNBA basketball star Brittney Griner, upholding her nine-year sentence on drug smuggling charges. Griner was arrested in February when airport customs officials found a small amount of cannabis oil in her luggage. The ruling increases pressure on the Biden administration to free Griner through negotiations. According to CNN, Griner's attorneys say a prisoner exchange is likely her best chance. .