Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury standout, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after customs officials said they found vapor cans containing cannabis oil in her luggage. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the drug trafficking charge. In court last week, Griner pleaded guilty and admitted to possessing the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said they were in her luggage because she was hastily packing on her way back to Russia to play for the UMMC Ekaterinburg basketball team during the WNBA offseason. In Russia’s judicial system, a guilty plea does not automatically end a trial. Since that plea, her court appearances have focused on personal and written testimony about her good character and athletic ability. “The attending physician gave Brittney recommendations for the use of medical cannabis,” said her attorney, Maria Blagovolina. “The permit was issued on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health.” The defense on Friday also submitted tests she underwent as part of an anti-doping test, which found no banned substances in her system. The next hearing in Griner’s case was scheduled for July 26. US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said they were doing everything they could to win her release, as well as the release of other Americans the United States considers “safely held” by Russia, including the former Marine Paul Whelan serving 16 years. for espionage conviction. But Washington may have little leverage with Moscow because of intense hostility over its military operation in Ukraine. “In the hearings yesterday and today what became very clear is the tremendous respect and admiration both in the United States and here in Russia where Miss Griner has been playing basketball for seven years, not only for her professional achievements but also for her character. and integrity,” US embassy chargé d’affaires Elizabeth Rudd said outside the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, where the airport is located. The director and team captain of UMMC Ektaerinburg testified on her behalf on Thursday. Russian media have speculated that Griner could be traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. after being convicted of conspiring to kill American citizens and providing aid to a terrorist. organization. Russia has been agitating for Bout’s release for years. But the wide disparity in the seriousness of their cases could make such a trade unpalatable to Washington. Others have suggested that Griner could be traded along with Whelan, who is serving 16 years in Russia on an espionage conviction that the US has described as a set-up. The State Department’s designation of Griner as an unlawful detainer moves her case under the supervision of the president’s special envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the administration’s chief hostage negotiator. The classification has angered Russia. Asked about the possibility of exchanging Griner for a Russian prisoner in the US, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the top Russian diplomat, noted that until her trial is over “there are no official or procedural reasons to talk about further steps. “ Ryabkov warned that the US criticism, including describing Griner as unjustly detained and dismissive comments about the Russian justice system, “makes it difficult to engage in detailed discussion of any possible exchanges.” Griner has been remanded in custody until December 20, suggesting the trial could take months. Griner’s lawyers, however, said they expect it to be completed around early August.
