Lawyer says WNBA star Brittany Griner had doctor’s letter for cannabis
A lawyer for WNBA star Brittney Griner, who’s jailed in Russia on drug expenses, offered a courtroom on Friday with a physician’s letter recommending she use hashish to deal with ache.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and standout for the Phoenix Mercury, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after customs officers mentioned they discovered vape canisters containing hashish oil in her baggage.
She faces as much as 10 years in jail if convicted on expenses of transportation of medication.
Griner final week in courtroom acknowledged possessing the canisters, however mentioned she had no legal intent and claimed the canisters’ presence was on account of hasty packing. In Russia’s judicial system, admitting guilt does not mechanically finish a trial.
Because the responsible plea, her courtroom classes have centered on in-person and written testimonies to her good character and athletic prowess.
“The attending doctor gave Brittney suggestions for the usage of medical hashish. The permission was issued on behalf of the Arizona Division of Well being,” lawyer Maria Blagovolina mentioned,
The protection on Friday additionally submitted checks she underwent as a part of an anti-doping verify, which did not detect any prohibited substances in her system.
The following listening to of Griner’s case was scheduled for July 26.
“Within the hearings yesterday and at present what turned very clear is the great quantity of respect and admiration each in america and right here in Russia the place Miss Griner has been enjoying basketball for seven years, not just for her skilled achievements however for her character and integrity,” U.S. Embassy cost d’affaires Elizabeth Rood mentioned exterior the courthouse within the Moscow suburb of Khimki, the place the airport is situated.
The director and group captain of UMMC Ektaerinburg, for which Griner performs within the offseason, testified on her behalf on Thursday.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have mentioned they’re doing all they might to win her launch, in addition to that of different People the U.S. considers “wrongly detained” by Russia, together with former Marine Paul Whelan who’s serving 16 years on an espionage conviction.
Washington could have little leverage with Moscow, although, due to sturdy animosity over its army operation in Ukraine.
Russian media have speculated that Griner may very well be swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the Service provider of Dying,” who’s serving a 25-year sentence within the U.S. after being convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. residents and offering help to a terrorist group.
Russia has agitated for Bout’s launch for years. However the huge discrepancy within the seriousness of their instances may make such a commerce unpalatable to Washington. Others have recommended that Griner may very well be traded together with Whelan, who’s serving 16 years in Russia on an espionage conviction that the U.S. has described as a setup.
The State Division’s designation of Griner as wrongfully detained strikes her case beneath the supervision of its particular presidential envoy for hostage affairs, successfully the federal government’s chief hostage negotiator. The classification has irritated Russia.
Requested about the potential for Griner being swapped for a Russian jailed within the U.S., Deputy Overseas Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the senior Russian diplomat, has famous that till her trial is over “there are not any formal or procedural causes to speak about any additional steps.”
Ryabkov warned that U.S. criticism, together with the outline of Griner as wrongfully detained and dismissive feedback concerning the Russian judicial system, “makes it tough to interact in detailed dialogue of any attainable exchanges.”
Griner’s detention has been licensed by Dec. 20, suggesting the trial may final months. Griner’s attorneys, nevertheless, mentioned they anticipate it to conclude across the starting of August.
