Griner’s drawn-out drug trial in Russia resumes

KHIMKI, Russia –

American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to a Russian courtroom on Tuesday for her drawn-out trial on drug fees that might deliver her 10 years in jail if convicted.

The trial of the two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury standout started July 1 however solely 4 classes have been held, some them lasting only some hours. In one in every of them she acknowledged that she was carrying vape canisters containing hashish oil when she was arrested at a Moscow airport in mid-February, however stated she had no felony intent.

The slow-moving trial and her 5 months of detention have raised robust criticism amongst teammates and supporters in the USA, which has formally declared her to be “wrongfully detained,” a designation sharply rejected by Russian officers.

Griner was arrested amid excessive U.S.-Moscow tensions forward of Russia sending troops into Ukraine later that month. Some supporters contend she is being held in Russia as a pawn, probably for a prisoner swap. American soccer notable Megan Rapinoe final week stated “she’s being held as a political prisoner, clearly.”

Nonetheless, even after the battle broke out, Washington and Moscow brokered a prisoner commerce in April when American Trevor Reed, imprisoned on a conviction of assaulting a police officer, was launched in alternate for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian convicted within the U.S. of drug smuggling.

The Russian International Ministry final week lashed out on the U.S. competition that Griner is being wrongfully detained and stated Russian legal guidelines needs to be revered.

“If a U.S. citizen was taken in reference to the truth that she was smuggling medication, and he or she doesn’t deny this, then this needs to be commensurate with our Russian native legal guidelines, and never with these adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated.

“If medication are legalized in the USA, in quite a few states, and that is completed for a very long time and now the entire nation will turn into drug-addicted, this doesn’t imply that each one different international locations are following the identical path,” she added.

Russian media have speculated that Griner could possibly be exchanged for distinguished Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who’s imprisoned in the USA, and that Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia for espionage, may additionally determine in an alternate.

U.S. officers haven’t commented on the prospects for such a commerce. Russian officers have stated no alternate could possibly be mentioned till the conclusion of the authorized proceedings towards Griner. It’s unclear how lengthy the trial will final, however a courtroom has licensed Griner’s detention till Dec. 20.

Earlier trial classes have included character-witness testimony from the director and captain of the Russian staff that Griner performed for within the low season, together with written testimony together with a health care provider’s letter saying he had licensed her to make use of hashish for ache therapy.

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