U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner stands trial at Russian court
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 [July 01, 2022]
KHIMKI, Russia (Reuters) -U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner went
on trial in a court on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday to face
drug charges that could see her face up to 10 years in prison.
The case, which coincides with fraught relations between Moscow and
Washington over the conflict in Ukraine, was brought after Russian
authorities said they found vape cartridges containing hashish oil
in Griner's luggage at a Moscow airport in February.
Griner, a star in the U.S.-based Women's National Basketball
Association (WNBA), was arrested and charged with smuggling a large
quantity of drugs, an offence that can carry up to 10 years in
prison.
The 31-year-old athlete was seen arriving at Khimki City Court in
handcuffs shortly after noon Moscow time (0900 GMT), wearing a Jimi
Hendrix T-shirt.
The prosecutor told Griner that she was being charged with
intentionally transporting narcotics. Griner spoke to say she
understood the charges.
Three employees of the U.S. embassy were present in the courtroom,
where Griner was seated in a cage with a zip-lock bag of cookies and
a bottle of mineral water.
'ILLEGAL DRUGS'
Asked about the case, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied it was
politically motivated.
"I can only operate with known facts, and the facts indicate that
the eminent athlete was detained with illegal drugs that contained
narcotic substances. There are articles in Russian legislation that
provide for punishment for such crimes," he told reporters. "Only
the court can pass a verdict."
U.S. officials and a score of athletes have called for the release
of Griner - or "BG" as she is known to basketball fans. They say she
has been wrongfully detained and should be immediately returned to
her family in the United States.
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U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner, who was detained in March at
Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and later charged with illegal
possession of cannabis, is escorted before a court hearing in Khimki
outside Moscow, Russia July 1, 2022. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina
Griner's detention also prompted concerns that Moscow could use the
two-time Olympic gold medallist to negotiate the release of a
high-profile Russian in U.S. custody.
The Kremlin has said that Griner violated Russian laws and denied
she was being held hostage amid Russia's stand-off with the United
States.
Griner, a centre for the Phoenix Mercury, had played for UMMC
Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA off-season, like several
other U.S. players offered lucrative contracts by the Russian
Women's Basketball Premier League.
However some have now left the Russian league, amid Griner's
detention and Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.
Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, told CNN in an interview on Thursday
evening that she was hoping for a meeting with U.S. President Joe
Biden.
"I would love for him to tell me he cares," Cherelle Griner said.
The U.S. government has warned citizens against travelling to Russia
in light of the "potential for harassment against U.S. citizens by
Russian government security officials".
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week there was "no
higher priority" than bringing home Griner and other Americans
"illegally detained" abroad.
(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Gareth Jones)
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