MOSCOW — Brittney Griner is predicted to testify in a Russian court Wednesday, a doubtlessly key second in her trial on drugs fees that would see the American basketball star face up to 10 years in jail.
Griner pleaded responsible earlier this month in a trial that has underscored the frayed relations between Washington and Moscow and led to rising requires the United States to do extra to safe her launch.
Griner, 31, was detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after Russian authorities mentioned they discovered vape canisters with hashish oil in her baggage. Medicinal and leisure hashish are authorized in many U.S. states, however each are prohibited in Russia.
A middle for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Griner’s attorneys argue that she packed her luggage rapidly and didn’t intend to carry the vape cannisters into Russia.
In the newest look of the weekslong proceedings at Khimki regional court close to Moscow, her protection group argued on Tuesday that, like many worldwide athletes, she makes use of medicinal marijuana to assist with harm ache.
The listening to Wednesday is predicted to begin 2:30 p.m. native time (7:30 a.m. ET). It’s anticipated that Griner will testify after which be cross-examined by the prosecution and protection.
Her trial comes at a very delicate second between Russia and the West after the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine.
U.S. officers, together with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, have mentioned Griner is being “wrongfully detained,” and supporters concern she is getting used as a political pawn by Russia.
On Tuesday, Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine free of a Russian jail in a prisoner alternate in April, mentioned he believes President Joe Biden isn’t doing sufficient to carry her dwelling.
“In my opinion, the White House has the ability to get them out extremely fast, and they clearly have chosen not to do that. So no, in my opinion, they’re not doing enough,” Reed mentioned in an unique interview with “Hallie Jackson NOW,” additionally referring to company govt Paul Whelan, who was detained by Russia in 2018.
The White House on Tuesday responded to Reed’s feedback by saying Griner and Whelan have “been top of mind for the president and for our national security team.”
“President Biden has been clear about the need to see every American who is wrongfully detained or held hostage abroad released, including Brittney Griner,” Adrienne Watson, White House spokesperson, advised NBC News.
Earlier this month Griner wrote a letter to Biden, telling him, “I’m terrified I might be here forever.” Blinken tweeted after a current listening to that U.S. embassy officers attending the trial had been ready to communicate to Griner and ship a letter in response from Biden.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has rejected the concept that Griner has been wrongfully detained, saying that the legality of medicinal hashish in some U.S. states has no bearing on Russia.
“If a U.S. citizen” was “smuggling drugs, and she does not deny this, then this should be commensurate with our Russian local laws, and not with those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mentioned.
“If drugs are legalized in the United States, in a number of states, and this is done for a long time and now the whole country will become drug-addicted, this does not mean that all other countries are following the same path,” she added.
Washington has not formally commented on any attainable prisoner swaps for Griner, regardless of hypothesis in Russian state media in May that she could possibly be exchanged for convicted Russian arms supplier Viktor Bout, who’s serving a 25-year jail sentence in the U.S.
NBC News wasn’t ready to affirm these reviews.
Tatyana Chistikova reported from Moscow, and Alexander Smith and Yuliya Talmazan reported from London.
Yuliya Talmazan and The Associated Press contributed.
