Russian Court Extends Pre-trial Arrest of Lawyer Brittney Griner


A court in Russia extended the detention period of detained defendants on Friday. WNBA star Brittney Griner By June 18, his lawyer said in a high-profile case that came at the height of tensions between Russia and the United States.

Ms. Griner, one of the most decorated athletes in women’s basketball, has been detained in Russia since mid-February on drug charges, which can carry up to 10 years in prison. The accusation is based on allegations that he had electronic cigarette cartridges containing cannabis oil in his luggage when he was stopped at Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow in February.

According to her lawyer, Aleksandr Boikov, Ms. Griner appeared in court on Friday in the town of Khimki, near Moscow, for a procedural hearing.

“He’s fine,” Mr. Boikov said in an interview, adding that the court had rejected his appeal that Ms. Griner be transferred to house arrest. He said he expects the trial to begin in about two months.

Although Ms. Griner was arrested a week before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities did not disclose her detention until days after the start of the war, raising fears that it could be used as a bargaining chip in the general crisis.

The US State Department said it had determined that Ms. Griner had been “wrongly detained” and signaled its intention to become more actively involved in the situation.

The release of Trevor R. Reed, an ailing former US Marine who was sentenced to nine years in prison for assault, in a prisoner swap with the United States at the end of April, raised hopes that Ms. Griner could do the same.

It is typical for Russian courts to extend detention to trial, which can take weeks to complete. For example, Mr. Reed’s release came after he was convicted and spent years in a Russian prison.

Ms. Griner’s team and family have remained relatively quiet about her condition.

A two-time Olympic gold medalist, Ms. Griner was one of several American players to compete for international teams to supplement WNBA paychecks during the off-season. She has been playing for the UMMC team in Yekaterinburg, Russia since 2014.



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