Article author:
Reuters
US basketball player Brittney Griner will be tried in Russia on Friday and could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison if involved in the relationship between Moscow and Washington.
US-based Women's Basketball Association (WNBA) star Greener was detained at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow on February 17, just before Russia invaded Ukraine, to the west. Unleashed a wide range of conflicts with.
Russian officials said a 31-year-old athlete was carrying an arc cartridge containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in the country. She was charged with smuggling large amounts of drugs. This is a crime that can result in imprisonment of up to 10 years.
US officials and numerous athletes are calling for the release of Greener ("BG"), known to her basketball fans. They say she has been illegally detained and she should be returned to her family in the United States immediately.
Grinner's detention also raised concerns that Moscow could use two Olympic gold medalists to negotiate the release of prominent Russians under US control.
Grinner's wife, Sherel Grinner, told CNN in an interview Thursday night that she wants to meet with US President Joe Biden.
She "tell me what he cares about," said Cherelle Griner.
The US government has warned citizens of her trip to Russia in the light of "potential harassment of US citizens by Russian government security officials."
The Kremlin said he denied that Grinner had violated Russian law and was held hostage in Russia's confrontation with the United States.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that "it is not a high priority" as "illegal detention" of Greener and other Americans abroad.
Greener is the heart of WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and is a seven-time WNBA All-Star.
For many years, Greener played for Russia's UMMC Yekaterinburg during the WNBA's off-season. Like a few other US players have signed a favorable deal in the Russian Women's Basketball Premier League.
Grinner's detention, coupled with Russia's military intervention in Ukraine, prompted several foreign players to leave the Russian League. (Report by Reuters, additional report by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles, edited by Alex Richardson and Richard Pulin)
