MOSCOW, Russia (Washington Insider Magazine) – The American basketball player Brittney Griner’s trial resumed Friday in the Russian capital after she entered a guilty plea last week to drug allegations related to her detention in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.
The 2-time Olympic gold medalist and center for the Phoenix Mercury was brought into the court at Moscow’s Khimki City Court in handcuffs prior to her hearing at 10 a.m. local time, surrounded by 3 security personnel.
Griner, 31, is still being held after Russian investigators claimed to have discovered cannabis oil-filled vape cartridges in her baggage. If found guilty, she could spend up to ten years in prison.
According to Griner’s attorney, Alexander Boikov, she confirmed ownership of the vape canisters but claimed she brought them to Russia accidentally.
It was claimed in the medical records that Griner, a 6-foot-9 native of Houston, had a history of injuries that led to serious chronic pain. Her defense team also submitted additional documents to the court on Friday, including about 20 character references from various charities and sports organizations.
Along with the player’s negative doping test results, her attorneys also sent the Arizona Department of Health’s document authorizing the use of cannabis for the treatment of severe chronic pain.
For the first time since the trial started, all media professionals were permitted entry to the courthouse on Friday.
After the defense asked for extra time to prepare for Griner’s interrogation, the hearing was postponed until July 26, according to NBC NEWS.
Following the hearing, Elizabeth Rood, the Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, made a statement outside the courthouse stating that the U.S. was dedicated to bringing Griner home.
According to Boikov, his client was exhausted.
He said that at the hearing on Thursday, Griner had met several of her Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company colleagues for the first time in months. Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company was the Russian basketball team Griner played for during the WNBA summer.
In his testimony on Thursday, Maxim Ryabkov, the director of UMMC, called Griner “an outstanding player” and a responsible individual.
In her testimony, Griner’s UMMC teammate Evgenia Belyakova referred to her as “a true leader” and a role model. Griner’s contribution to Russian basketball, according to Belyakova, was “invaluable.”
In recent weeks, there has been an increase in calls for Griner’s release. President Joe Biden assured Cherelle Griner earlier this month that he was trying to expedite Brittney Griner’s release from custody.
According to Reuters, the Kremlin refused to respond to Thursday’s rumors that Griner may be exchanged for Russian weapons dealer Viktor Bout, who is now serving a 25-year jail sentence in the United States.
According to the Interfax news agency, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow was willing to cooperate with the United States on a potential swap and urged Washington to stop trying to put pressure on Moscow.
