Brittney Griner appears in court
4 months After that, she was arrested for possession of cannabis at Moscow Airport, and a Russian court set the start date of the criminal trial of US basketball star Brittney Griner on July 1. Set up.
Phoenix Mercury Star was also ordered to remain in custody during her criminal trial. If she is convicted of a large-scale transport of narcotics, she may face 10 years in prison. Less than 1% of Russian criminal defendants have been acquitted, and unlike the United States, acquittals can be overturned.
On Monday, a court in Khimki on the outskirts of Moscow extended her detention for another six months after Grinner appeared in a closed-door preliminary hearing. The photo taken by AP showed that she was appearing in her handcuffs. Greener had previously been ordered to continue her pretrial detention until July 2.
Grinner's detention and trial took place at a very low time in the relationship between Moscow and Washington. She was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow less than a week after Russia sent troops to Ukraine.
In tension, Greener's supporters have a quiet solution until May, when the State Departmentis reclassified. I expected it and it didn't stand out. She was illegally detainedand transferred oversight of her case to a special presidential envoy for hostage issues-in effect the chief negotiator of the US government.
The move drew more attention to Grinner's case and brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of a drug trafficking plot in April. Her supporters encouraged such a prisoner exchange.
Russian news media could be exchanged for Viktor Bout, a Russian weapons merchant called the "merchant of death" who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for plotting to kill U.S. citizens. I have repeatedly raised speculation that there is sex. Provide assistance to terrorist organizations.
Russia has instigated the release of Bout for many years. However, the contradiction between the Greener case (she allegedly possessed an arc cartridge containing cannabis oil) and the global trade in Bout's deadly weapons has spoken to the United States of such an exchange.
Others are former Marine Captains, in collaboration with Paul Weelan, who suggested she could be traded, and the United States repeatedly He has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for being convicted of a spy described as a setup.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked at CNN on Sunday if a joint exchange between Greener and Welan for a match was being considered and avoided the question.
"As a general suggestion, I have no higher priority than ensuring that Americans who are somehow illegally detained around the world return home," he says. I did. However, "I cannot comment in detail on what we are doing except to say that this is an absolute priority."
Swap was first convicted Maria Yamash, a lawyer specializing in international civil affairs, told the Kremlin-funded television channel RT that she would have to be sentenced and then apply for a presidential amnesty.
On Friday, the US House of Representativesapproved a bipartisan resolutioncalling for the release of Grinner.
Introduced by Congressman Arizona Rizona Greg Stanton Resolutioncalled on Russia to "immediately release" 31-year-old Grinner and called on U.S. authorities to "with Russia." The case of Grinner's release when communicating. "
Mercury praises the resolution, Tweeted on Saturday "Stanton and many others work with the White House, the State Department, and the Britney family. Going home to keep her safe. "
Read CBS News Thank you.
Create a free account or log in to
for more features.
