Brittney Griners trial for cannabis possession has begun in Moscow

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WNBA superstar Brittney Griner has been a wrongfully detained person in Russia for longer than four months due to allegedly being found to have cannabis oil at the international airport. In May, the US government officially classified her as a “wrongfully detained person” and “shifted oversight of her case to its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs — effectively the U.S. government’s chief negotiator.” The US consular official has had limited access to Brittney and her wife wasn’t able to speak to her in a planned phone call.  Her detention has been extended three times, but the trial actually began last week.

American basketball star Brittney Griner went on trial Friday, 4 1/2 months after her arrest on charges of possessing cannabis oil while returning to play for a Russian team, in a case that unfolded amid tense relations between Moscow and Washington.

Griner, 31, was escorted into the courtroom in the capital’s suburb of Khimki while handcuffed and wearing a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt. At a closed-door preliminary hearing Monday, her detention was extended for another six months, to Dec. 20.

Police have said she was carrying vape canisters with cannabis oil when detained at the airport. She could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.

The state-owned Tass news agency quoted Griner as saying in court that she understood the charges but would not comment further on them until later.

Alexander Boykov, an attorney for Griner, told reporters outside court that “I wouldn’t want to talk on the specifics of the case and on the charges and to comment on our position on it because it’s too early for it.”

Boykov also told RIA-Novosti that she has been exercising in the detention area. The Russian website Business FM reported that Griner, who smiled at times, said she wishes she could work out more and that she was struggling because she doesn’t understand Russian.

Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in U.S. courts, acquittals can be overturned.

Elizabeth Rood, U.S. charge d’affaires in Moscow, was in court and said she spoke with Griner, who “is doing as well as can be expected in these difficult circumstances.”

She said the U.S. government, from its highest levels, “is working hard to bring Brittney and all wrongfully detained U.S. nationals home safely.”

Griner’s wife, Cherelle, has urged President Joe Biden to secure her release, calling her “a political pawn.”

[From ESPN]

Okay, was it hers or who gave her the Jimi Hendrix shirt? The defendant in a drug trial wearing the image of someone who died of a drug overdose definitely seems like it could cause a bias. I hope the shirt was hers and a mistake and not some nefarious sabotage effort. So far, two witnesses have appeared, an airport customs official and an unidentified witness who spoke in closed session, but the other two scheduled witnesses failed to show up. Weird. Neither Brittney nor her lawyer have commented on the case yet, saying it’s too early. A Russian website reported that in an interview they said Brittney has been exercising and wishes she could do so more, has been having a hard time with the language barrier, and “smiled at times.” Ugh, I hope she’s okay.  ESPN has more speculation on the prisoner exchange angle, mentioning an arms dealer that Russian media keeps raising for a swap and another American prisoner Brittney could potentially be traded alongside. Another American prisoner was already swapped with a Russian one in April.

Also, Brittney wrote a letter directly to the White House and President Biden. Brittney’s representatives released excerpts to an ESPN reporter yesterday. This is heartbreaking and I’m glad her people put this out there. I hope they bring Brittney safely home soon.

— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) July 4, 2022

https://www.instagram.com/p/CRR7upUNlLx/

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