Brittney Griner's legal team appeals against nine-year Russian jail sentence

Russian diplomat says discussions about a prisoner exchange have been held

US basketball player Brittney Griner holds a picture of her team before a court hearing in Khimki, outside Moscow. AFP

The defence team of US basketball star Brittney Griner has appealed against her conviction for drug possession and trafficking in Russia.

Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on August 4 in a trial that President Joe Biden called “unacceptable”.

The nine-year sentence was close to the maximum of 10 years. After the conviction, lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boikov called the sentencing excessive, arguing people in similar cases had received more lenient punishments.

Monday was the deadline for Griner to contest the verdict. Ms Blagovolina told Reuters an appeal had been filed but did not elaborate.

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after authorities found vape oil cartridges containing cannabis in her luggage.

The two-time Olympic gold medallist pleaded guilty to the drug charges but said she had no intention of breaking Russian law, saying that she had accidentally placed the cartridges in her suitcase while hastily packing.

“I made an honest mistake and I hope in your ruling, it does not end my life,” she said.

It was not known how soon an appeal could be heard.

“We demand to overturn the verdict passed by the Khimki court and impose a new sentence,” Mr Boikov told Reuters.

Griner's arrest on February 17 came amid high tensions between Washington and Moscow over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russia denies that Griner's case was politically motivated, and warned the White House that any discussions over a possible prisoner swap must be negotiated in private.

The White House said it has offered Moscow a “substantial proposal” to secure her release, as well as that of Paul Whelan, a former US marine serving a 16-year prison sentence. US media outlets reported that Washington has offered to free Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer serving a 25-year sentence for conspiring to kill Americans.

A Russian diplomat on Sunday told the country's news agency that discussions about an exchange have been held.

“This quite sensitive issue of the swap of convicted Russian and US citizens is being discussed through the channels defined by our presidents,” said Alexander Darchiev, head of the foreign ministry’s North America department.

“These individuals are, indeed, being discussed. The Russian side has long been seeking the release of Viktor Bout. The details should be left to professionals.”

Agencies contributed to this report