Brittney Griner’s lawyers have filed an appeal of the nine-year Russian prison sentence she received in early August, according to Russian news agencies via ESPN. Griner’s defense team had 10 days after the sentencing to appeal, which was expected to be filed after the conviction came down on Aug. 4.

Lawyer Maria Blagovolina and co-counsel Alexander Boykov “said after the conviction that the sentence was excessive and that in similar cases defendants have received an average sentence of about five years, with about a third of them granted parole.” Griner pleaded guilty before the conviction and admitted to having vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage but maintained it was an honest mistake. Her defense team also said she had been prescribed cannabis to deal with pain.

Brittney Griner was initially detained after getting stopped at a Moscow airport back in February, which is when those vape cartridges were found. The Phoenix Mercury star had been playing for a women’s team in Russia during the WNBA offseason.

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There has been a loud outcry from many in the United States about Griner’s detainment and conviction in Russia, including from Joe Biden’s administration. There have been negotiations about a prisoner swap between the two countries, with some belief that ultimately there will be a two-for-two swap. The U.S. reportedly proposed a swap of Griner and Paul Whelan for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, but Russia is apparently hoping to get another prisoner freed as part of this ongoing process.

This appeal is just the latest step in the Brittney Griner saga.