US basketball star Brittney Griner appeared in court today in Russia, where she was detained on charges of ‘possession of illegal marijuana’.
Griner, 31, a three-time WNBA league champion and seven-time All-Star runner-up, was filmed handcuffed to court in the town of Khimki, outside Moscow.
It has been announced that the next hearing will be held on 7 July. If found guilty, Griner will face up to 10 years in prison.
While the US says he was wrongfully arrested and should be released, Russia denies that his detention stems from tensions between the two countries due to the Ukraine war.
After Russian forces entered Ukrainian territory in late February, the United States and some other countries began imposing economic sanctions in response.
Griner was detained on 17 February at an airport in Moscow for allegedly found cannabis oil in his luggage.
The maximum prison sentence may apply to “large-scale drug transport”. Also, even if Griner is acquitted in the case, the government in Russia has the power to overturn the verdict and send the athlete to jail.
WNBA player Griner has been playing for EuroLeague team UMMC Ekaterinburg outside the US season since 2014. That’s why she went to Russia, she.
Nearly half of WNBA players play abroad in the off-season because they are paid five times more in Russia than in the United States.
Griner garnered political support in the United States following his arrest. Last weekend, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, “I have no higher priority than making sure that Americans who have been illegally detained in one way or another around the world return home. I cannot comment in detail on what we are doing, other than to say that this is an absolute priority.”