Brittney Griner: WNBA star's drawn-out trial resumes in Russia
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner reacts inside a defendant's cage before a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on July 26, 2022. (Photo by ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) KHIMKI, Russia - American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to a Russian courtroom on Tuesday for her drawn-out trial on drug charges that could bring her 10 years in prison if convicted.The trial of the two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury standout began July 1 but only four sessions have been held, some them lasting only a few hours.
In one of them she acknowledged that she was carrying vape canisters containing cannabis oil when she was arrested at a Moscow airport in mid-February, but said she had no criminal intent.Phoenix Mercury player and WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been jailed in Russia after vape cartridges were found in her luggage at a Moscow airport, according to multiple reports.
A Russian news agency reported that Griner could spend 5 to 10 years in prison on drug smuggling charges, according to the New York Post.
Credit: Federal Customs Service of Russia via StoryfulThe slow-moving trial and her five months of detention have raised strong criticism among teammates and supporters in the United States, which has formally declared her to be "wrongfully detained," a designation sharply rejected by Russian officials.Griner was arrested amid high U.S.-Moscow tensions ahead of Russia sending troops into Ukraine later that month.
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