Brittney Griner will have prison sentence appeal heard by Russian court later this month

American basketball star Brittney Griner will have her appeal against a nine-year prison sentence for drug possession heard by a Russian court later this month.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was convicted on 4 August after being arrested in February at a Moscow airport when vape canisters containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage.

The athlete, who had been playing for a women’s basketball team in Yekaterinburg, admitted that she had the canisters in her bags, but said she packed them accidentally and had no criminal intent.

Now her appeal will be heard by the court on 25 October, according to the Associated Press.