MOSCOW (AP) — Russian news agencies say jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drug possession and smuggling charges during her trial in Moscow.
Reports said Griner pleaded guilty to the charges at Thursday’s hearing.  They said that speaking through an interpreter, Griner said she acted involuntarily because she was packing in a hurry.
Griner was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after vapor containers of cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage.  He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale drug trafficking.
The trial of the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist began last week.
THIS IS AN UPDATE UPDATE.  Previous AP story follows below.
MOSCOW (AP) — Jailed U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner returned to a Russian court Thursday to face trial on drug charges, as a senior Russian diplomat warned that U.S. criticism of Russia’s handling of the case it would not help her liberate her prospects.
Griner’s trial began last week amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest.
Before Thursday’s hearing, Russian police escorted Griner, handcuffed and dressed in a bright red T-shirt and sweatpants, into the courtroom in front of a throng of reporters.
The athlete was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after vapor containers of cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage.  He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale drug trafficking.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned on Thursday that “the US side’s efforts to make noise in public … do not help in the practical settlement of issues.”
The White House said President Joe Biden called Griner’s wife on Wednesday to assure her he was doing everything he could to free the athlete as soon as possible.  They spoke after Biden read a letter from Griner in which she said she feared she would never come home.
Washington has not made public its strategy in the case, and the United States may have little leverage with Moscow because of heightened hostility over Russia’s military actions in Ukraine.  The State Department designated Griner as a wrongful detainer, moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.
Asked about the possibility of exchanging Griner for a Russian jailed in the US, Ryabkov, the senior Russian diplomat, noted that until her trial is over “there are no official or procedural reasons to talk about further steps.”
He warned that the US criticism, including describing Griner as unjustly imprisoned and dismissive comments about the Russian justice system, “makes it difficult to engage in detailed discussion of any possible exchanges.”
“The persistence with which the US government … describes those sentenced to prison terms for serious crimes and those awaiting the conclusion of investigations and judicial decisions as ‘unreasonably detained’ reflects Washington’s refusal to take a sober view of the outside world,” Ryabkov whispered.
The trial of the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist was adjourned after it began last week after two scheduled witnesses failed to appear.  Such delays are routine in Russian courts and her detention has been approved until December 20, suggesting the process could take months.
It was unclear whether Griner would testify Thursday.
Although Griner’s supporters initially kept a low profile, calls for the United States to take action grew after the first day of the trial.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, one of America’s most prominent black activists, this week called on Biden to arrange a prayer meeting with Griner, saying: “Four months is too long for this to go on and I hope the President will act on her.  please come home.”
An organization called Win With Black Women sent Biden a letter saying Secretary of State Antony Blinken “called Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife, assuring her and publicly stating that Brittney’s safe return was a matter of personal priority.  However, we are concerned that the rhetoric does not seem to be aligned with the actions that have been taken to date.  We urge you to make an arrangement to get Brittney home quickly.”
Russian media have repeatedly speculated that Griner could be traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. on charges of conspiring to kill citizens of USA and providing assistance to a terrorist organization.
Russia has been agitating for Bout’s release for years.  But the stark discrepancy between Griner’s alleged wrongdoing and Bout’s global dealings in lethal weapons could make such an exchange unpalatable to Washington.
Others have suggested he could be swapped with Paul Whelan, a former marine and security director serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on a spying conviction for what the US has repeatedly described as an organization.
Russia has shown no signs of backing down.
“This is a serious crime, confirmed by indisputable evidence… Attempts to present the case as if the American was illegally detained cannot stand,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexei Zaitsev said on Wednesday.
“The law has been broken, and arguments about the innocent nature of Griner’s addiction, which, by the way, is punishable in some US states, are inappropriate in this case,” he said.