U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner appears in Russian court before July 1 trial
Shackled and looking out cautious, WNBA star Brittney Griner was ordered Monday to face trial by a courtroom close to Moscow on hashish possession prices, about 4 1/2 months after her arrest at an airport whereas returning to play for a Russian crew.
The Phoenix Mercury centre and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist additionally was ordered to stay in custody at some point of her prison trial, which was to start Friday. Griner might face 10 years in jail if convicted on prices of large-scale transportation of medication. Fewer than one pre cent of defendants in Russian prison instances are acquitted, and in contrast to within the U.S., acquittals might be overturned.
At Monday’s closed-door preliminary listening to on the courtroom within the Moscow suburb of Khimki, Griner’s detention was prolonged for an additional six months, to Dec. 20. Pictures obtained by The Related Press confirmed the 31-year-old in handcuffs and looking out straight forward, in contrast to a earlier courtroom look the place she saved her head down and coated with a hood.
She declined to reply questions from reporters in English as she was led via the courthouse, based on video proven in Russian media.
Her detention and trial come at a very low level in Moscow-Washington relations. She was arrested at Sheremetyevo Worldwide Airport lower than every week earlier than Russia despatched troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already-high tensions with sweeping sanctions by the US and Russia’s denunciation of U.S. weapon provides to Ukraine.
Amid the tensions, Griner’s supporters had taken a low profile in hopes of a quiet decision, till Might, when the State Division reclassified her as wrongfully detained and shifted oversight of her case to its particular presidential envoy for hostage affairs — successfully the U.S. authorities’s chief negotiator.
Griner’s spouse, Cherelle, urged President Joe Biden in Might to safe her launch, calling her “a political pawn.”
“It was good to see her in a few of these photos, however it’s robust. Each time’s a reminder that their teammate, their pal, is wrongfully imprisoned out of the country,” Phoenix Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard stated later Monday. “It is robust on our crew. It’s good to see her. See how she’s doing? I do not know if she’s doing OK.
“Not less than we get to see a picture of her. Hopefully with this trial taking place rapidly that some issues will change and that President Biden will take the steps to make sure she comes residence.”
Prisoner swap?
Griner’s supporters have inspired a prisoner swap just like the one in April that introduced residence Marine veteran Trevor Reed in trade for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.
Russian information media have repeatedly raised hypothesis that she might be swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Service provider of Dying,” who’s serving a 25-year sentence on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. residents and offering support to a terrorist group.
Others have steered that she might be traded in tandem with Paul Whelan, a former Marine and safety director serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that the US has repeatedly described as a set-up.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, requested Sunday on CNN whether or not a joint swap of Griner and Whelan for Bout was being thought-about, sidestepped the query.
“As a common proposition … I’ve obtained no larger precedence than ensuring that People who’re being illegally detained in a technique or one other around the globe come residence,” he stated. However “I can not remark in any element on what we’re doing, besides to say that is an absolute precedence.”
