WNBA star Brittney Griner shared a message for fans who have supported her and her family while she has been held as a prisoner in Russia on Tuesday.

Griner has been imprisoned in a Russian jail since February after she was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport after a luggage search revealed vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil.

Griner pleaded guilty to the drug smuggling charge and was sentenced to nine years in August. That is almost the maximum sentence she could have gotten, which is nine and a half years in prison.

Griner released a message to her supporters and thanked them for their support through her imprisonment. Griner turned 32 on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

“All the support and love are definitely helping me,” Griner said through her lawyers Maria Blagovolina and Alexander Boykov.

Blagovolina worked with Griner on the appeal that was filed and saw the toll the imprisonment had been on her.

“Today is of course a difficult day for Brittney,” Blagovolina added. “Not only is this her birthday in jail away from her family, teammates, and friends, but she is very stressed in anticipation of the appeal hearing on Oct. 25.”

The U.S. government has reportedly offered to release Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, in exchange for Griner and former Marine Paul Whalen, who was arrested and convicted of espionage. Whalen is currently serving a 16-year sentence in Russia.

Griner will have an appeal hearing on her sentence on October 25, but the Russian government stated that her appeal is not the main priority now.

The post Brittney Griner Shares Message On 32nd Birthday: ‘All The Support and Love Are Definitely Helping Me’ first appeared on Mediaite.

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