Russia extends custody of US basketball player
As of 6:49 p.m
Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom in Khimki after a hearing
Source: dpa/Alexander Zemlianichenko
US basketball player and Olympic champion Brittney Griner has been in custody in Russia for almost three months. It will stay that way for the time being. The charge: drug smuggling.
RUS authorities have extended the custody of two-time Olympic basketball champion Brittney Griner by a month. As the lawyer for the 31-year-old American, Alexander Boykov, told the AP news agency on Friday, the relatively short extension of the detention speaks for the early hearing of the case. Boykow reported that Griner was presented in handcuffs for his brief hearing.
The American has been in custody for almost three months after being arrested on charges of drug possession at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. A court in the Moscow region in the city of Chimki initially extended the arrest until May 19.
As the Interfax news agency reported in early March, citing Russian customs, so-called vape cartridges and hashish oil were said to have been discovered in the American’s luggage during an inspection in February. According to the information, you face five to ten years in prison.
Part of the team of UMMC Yekaterinburg
Many women from the North American women’s basketball league WNBA – like Griner – play off-season in European leagues, including Russia and Ukraine. Griner has also played for the UMMC Yekaterinburg team in the Urals since 2015, so he wanted to travel to Russia. She won the Euroleague four times with the top Russian club.
The WNBA’s 26th season recently began without Griner. Your club Phoenix Mercury lost to the Las Vegas Aces 88:106.
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