NEW YORK (Washington Insider Magazine) – Prior to her trial in Russia, Brittney Griner’s family and friends convened for a protest before the Russian Consulate in New York City late Wednesday night. They demanded the WNBA star’s freedom.
On February 17, Griner was held at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Russia after she was charged with possessing hashish oil-containing vape cartridges, which is prohibited in that country.
Griner’s arrest in Russia has been prolonged many times, most recently till December 20, when her trial is scheduled to finish. Griner, 31, may spend up to ten years in jail if found guilty.
On Friday, the Phoenix Mercury player’s trial is scheduled to start, and she is anticipated to be detained throughout, reported ABC NEWS.
In response to a question about Griner’s health during the preliminary hearing the WNBA star attended on Monday in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, Aleksandr Boikov, her attorney, said, “She’s fine as she could be.”
According to the State Department, the U.S. government designated Griner’s case as “wrongful detention” on May 3. This means that while the court case against her is still pending, the United States will work more assiduously to negotiate her release.
Griner is “unjustly detained,” according to White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who urged the Russian authorities to free the American basketball player.
Sullivan said that the diplomatic attempts to achieve Griner’s release are “sensitive matters,” but emphasized that the U.S. is “actively engaged” in doing so.
A week after Griner was jailed, Russia invaded Ukraine. Some government representatives are worried that Americans detained in Russia would be used as bargaining chips in the ongoing confrontation.
Following the April release of American Marine veteran Trevor Reed, who was released from a Russian jail as part of a prisoner swap, calls for Griner’s release escalated. Paul Whelan, a former Marine, has also been imprisoned in Russia since 2019.
According to Russian media sources, Whelan, Griner, and convicted Russian weapons dealer Viktor Bout may have been included in an international prisoner exchange, although it’s unknown if there has been any significant progress on the matter. The desire for Griner to go on trial has also been expressed by Russian officials.
Cherelle Griner, Griner’s wife, told the Associated Press that she had “zero trust” in the American government following the way it handled her wife’s incarceration after the State Department messed up a scheduled anniversary call.
Brittney Griner’s failure to contact her wife was an “unfortunate mistake,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told journalists on Tuesday. She also said that another phone conversation had been set.
It would have been Brittney Griner’s first conversation with her wife since her arrest more than 3 months ago.
