American WNBA athlete Brittney Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony after bringing two vape cartridges containing hashish oil into the country. Griner said that she accidentally packed the cartridges into her luggage.
After a February arrest in a Moscow airport, she was held for months before being sentenced on Aug. 4.
Some social media users are sharing an image that purportedly shows CNN reporting on Griner's treatment in Russian custody.
The image shows a CNN logo in the lower right-hand corner. On the right, Griner is pictured near what appears to be the metal bars of a holding cell. CNN news anchor Lynda Kinkade is pictured on the left, apparently mid-sentence.
A chyron extending across the bottom of both images reads: "DNA test ordered by officials to determine male or female prison."
An August 6 Facebook post featuring the image was shared nearly 200 times in five days.
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However, the purported CNN report is fabricated, according to a CNN spokesperson.
USA TODAY reached out to the Facebook user who shared the claim for comment.
The report shown in the social media image is not authentic, according to CNN spokesperson Sydney Baldwin.
"This is a fabricated image and did not...
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