MOSCOW - More than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport for cannabis possession, a Russian court has set the start date of the U.S.
basketball star Brittney Griner for July 1.The Phoenix Mercury star was also ordered to remain in custody for the duration of her criminal trial.
She could face 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of large-scale transportation of drugs. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned.On Monday, the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki extended Griner’s detention for another six months after she appeared for a preliminary hearing held behind closed doors.
Photos obtained by the AP showed her appearing in handcuffs. Griner had previously been ordered to remain in pretrial detention until July 2.US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. (Photo by Kirill Kudryavtsev/ AFP via Getty Images) RELATED: Brittney Griner now considered wrongfully detained, US officials sayGriner's detention and trial come at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations.