Civil Rights Attorney Brooke Goldstein joined Closing Bell's Kristen Scholer to break down American WNBA star Brittney Griner's latest court appearance, after her nine-year prison sentence was upheld in Russian court.  The Biden Administration called it a 'sham judicial proceeding' and vowed to continue its fight to get Griner back to the U.S.

Closing Bell

Brittney Griner Loses Appeal in Russian Court, U.S. Calls It a 'Sham'

an american basketball star Brittney Griner is appeal in Russia has been denied. She attended via video link from the detention center where she's been held since she was sentenced in august to nine years in prison on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs. After Russian officials found a cannabis cartridge on her while traveling through Moscow's airport Griner pleading guilty at her trial but said she had made an honest mistake and didn't mean to break the law. So joining me now is human rights attorney Brooke. Goldstein Brooke, thanks so much for joining the show. What does this mean for Greiner? Has she exhausted at this point? All of our legal options. I think she has when it comes to the Russian legal system, but I think what's very clear to everyone is that this is not just about justice, this is highly politicized. We all know Russia is at war with Ukraine and U. S. Officials are acknowledging just today, even that they're in active negotiations with Russia, whether it has to do with sanctions relief or they say a prisoner swap with Viktor bout who is a Russian arms dealer who has been serving a 25 year prison sentence in the United States. They're also talking about swapping U. S. Marine paul, Whelan who was also wrongfully detained accused of espionage and we know now that he is in a prison hospital, which is quite unfortunate. So I guess on the positive note there could be a release of both U. S. Citizens by the end of the year. So says former U. S. Ambassador Bill Richardson, but in the meantime she is now facing a nine year sentence in Russia. And I know I do believe this nine year sentence includes her being sent to a penal colony. That would be I guess a little bit different from the current circumstances as to where she's being housed. What do we know about what these conditions are like for Russian prisoners? Well look, Russia is a dictatorship and I would assume though I'm not an expert that the conditions for political prisoners there are not good. I would not wish on anyone to be a political prisoner in Russia. The case obviously has been called a sham. The appeal's decision has been called a sham. So there really isn't any hope for justice there or due process for that matter. So I do see Brooke here in 2019 actually a 19 year old American woman did receive a 5, $235 served two months in prison for having 17 g of medical cannabis in Russia. And for comparison's sake? Right Griner had less than a gram that was actually medically prescribed. She's sentenced to nine years in prison. And so what is the difference the disparity and how these cases have been handled? Show us indicate to us, you know, I think it indicates what I said at the beginning of the segment that this is definitely an issue of the politicization of the courts that they are being used as leverage in the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Russia with regard to what's happening in the Ukraine and the sanctions. And again, it's unfortunate but really this is what happens when it comes to diplomacy. And I think the United States should be doing absolutely everything in can diplomatically in order to secure her release but also to secure the release of the U. S. Marine that now we know is not in good health. So I think the matter is quite urgent um and we will continue to follow it. Right. So in terms of what the U. S. Can do next Brooke, is there anything that we know of to be certain that might help both Brittney Griner and this other marine as you've referenced? Well, we know that there are currently discussions happening. So I would assume that those discussions are about who is going to be traded for who and what the United States has to do politically diplomatically sanctions level or what have you to get her and the marine released. I don't think that we have really a good position. I don't think that the United States has a lot of leverage but keep in mind prisoner swaps happen all the time. So really most people are expecting this to occur by the end of the year. So that is positive news for Brittney Griner. All right, thank you. That's Brooke. Goldstein civil rights attorney Brooke. We appreciate the time