All members of the press had been allowed into the courthouse on Friday, the primary time they’ve been allowed to take action because the trial started.
Griner, 31, has remained in detention after Russian authorities stated they discovered vape canisters with hashish oil in her baggage. She faces as much as 10 years in jail if convicted.
Her lawyer, Alexander Boikov, beforehand instructed reporters that Griner admitted that the vape canisters had been hers, however stated she introduced them to Russia unintentionally.
On Thursday, Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a middle for the Phoenix Mercury, appeared in a Russian courtroom carrying an olive-colored shirt and glasses. She was joined by her authorized staff and three U.S. Embassy representatives.
Her protection referred to as Maxim Ryabkov, the director of UMMC — the Russian basketball membership Griner performed with in the course of the WNBA offseason, as a witness. He described her as “an outstanding player” and a accountable individual.
UMMC teammate Evgenia Belyakova additionally testified, saying Griner is “a true leader” and position mannequin. Belyakova stated Griner’s contribution to Russian basketball was “invaluable.”
“We miss her very much. We miss her energy,” Belyakova stated, chatting with reporters outdoors courtroom.
Calls for Griner’s launch have intensified in latest weeks. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden reassured her spouse, Cherelle Griner, that he was working to safe Brittney Griner’s launch as quick as doable.
The Kremlin declined to remark Thursday on hypothesis over whether or not Griner might be swapped for a convicted Russian arms supplier Viktor Bout, who’s serving a 25-year jail sentence in the U.S., Reuters reported.
But Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated Moscow was able to work with the U.S. on a doable change and urged Washington to desert makes an attempt to exert stress on Russia and never speculate on this “sensitive matter,” according to the Interfax news agency.
Griner’s case has drawn comparisons to Naama Issachar, an American-Israeli lady detained in Russia for 10 months after airport authorities discovered a small quantity of hashish in her baggage.
Isaachar secured a pardon in 2020 from President Vladimir Putin as geopolitical tensions escalated between Putin and then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Her destiny turned tied to an unrelated case involving an Israeli Supreme Court choice to extradite an alleged Russian hacker to the U.S.
Rhoda Kwan and Tatyana Chistikova contributed.
