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WNBA star Brittney Grinerhas been detained in Russia for drug charges since February, and she has been in court for a preliminary hearing prior to the trial on Monday. I am planning to appear in court.
Greener said a week before Russiabegan invading Ukraineafter a vapor-sucking cartridge containing cannabis oil was found in luggage at an airport near Moscow. I was detained before I knew it. Olympic gold medalists can face up to 10 years in prison.
File-Court by Brittney Griner of the Phoenix Mercury Center Paused in the second half of the WNBA basketball match against the Seattle Storm on September 3, 2019 in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Ross D. Franklin, file)
Less than 1% of Russian criminal defendants were acquitted. The Russian system differs from the United States in that the acquittal can be overturned. The hearing date for the basketball playerhas not yet been announced, but will be announced shortly. Greener was recently ordered to continue pretrial detention until July 2. The hearing is to address procedural issues.
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Like many other WNBA players, Griner is in the off-season of the league to make more money. She has playedballs inRussia for the past seven years.
The US State Departmentreclassified Greener as tort detained in May after authorities had previously waited for the case to proceed through the Russian legal system. Transferred monitoring of her case to a special agency of the ministry. Presidential envoy for hostage issues.
Brittney Griner's Detention: Putin's Spokesman Denies WNBA Stars Hostaged
Griner's supporters exchanged prisoners to allow her release to urge the United States to act.
Russian news media have repeatedly suggested that she could be exchanged for the Russian weapons merchant Victor Bout (also known as the "merchant of death"). The match has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for a plot to kill US citizens and is providing assistance to terrorist organizations.
Brittney Griner's prestigious WNBA All-Star
File-Phoenix Mercury Center Brittney Griner, 42, said the Chicago Skyforward Candy Sparker (42) in the first half of Game 1 of the WNBA Basketball Final on Sunday. I passed 3). October 10, 2021 in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Ralph Freso, File)
Russia has been asking for Bout's release for years, but Griner's case and Bout's Differences from the global trade in deadly weapons make swaps unattractive to the United States
Brittney Griner and Paul Wheelan's joint swap idea. The setup is also partly floating.
However,US Secretary of State Antony Blinkenunveiled US plans to bring Greener back to her home when asked if a joint exchange was being considered on Sunday. There wasn't.
"As a general suggestion, it's no higher priority than ensuring that Americans who are somehow illegally detained around the world return home," he said in a television interview. Stated. "I can't comment in detail about what we're doing, except to say that this is an absolute priority," he said.
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Women between the United States and Serbia on the 14th day of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics at Saitama Super Arena Brittney Griner of the United States during the semi-final basketball game August 6, 2021, an arena in Saitama, Japan. (Jean Catuffe / Getty Images)
Reportedly, Greener was convicted and sentenced and had to apply for a presidential amnesty. I can't. In international civil affairs, he told Russia's national television channel RT.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
