American basketball star Brittney Griner appeared in a Russian courtroom this morning to face drug charges that carry a maximum jail term of 10 years.
Griner, 31, wore a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt as she was joined by US embassy staff at Khimki City Court on the outskirts of Moscow today.
She was handcuffed and led down a hallway outside the courtroom. Cameras are not allowed inside.
The prosecutor told Griner she was charged with intentionally transporting narcotics. Griner said she understood the allegations.
Three embassy employees were present in the courtroom, where Griner was in a cage with a sealable bag of biscuits and a bottle of mineral water.
Russian authorities say they found vaping cartridges containing hash oil in Griner’s luggage at an airport in Moscow in February.
The apparition came as Griner’s agent begged President Biden to make a deal to secure her release.
Lindsay Kagawa Colas took to Twitter earlier this week to put pressure on the Biden administration to get the 31-year-old out.
She wrote: ‘Negotiations for her immediate release, regardless of legal proceedings, must remain a top priority and we expect @POTUS and @VP to now do everything in their power to finalize a deal to get her home. bring.
“The fact remains that the US government has determined that Brittney Griner is being wrongly detained and used as a political pawn.”
The case coincides with fraught relations between Moscow and Washington over the conflict in Ukraine.
Griner, 31, was wearing a Jimi Hendrix T-shirt when she appeared in Moscow’s courtroom today (left and right). The case coincides with fraught US-Russia relations over the war in Ukraine
It’s not clear if Griner will be released in a US-Russia prisoner trade, with authorities still gagging
Griner was led away by prison guard with documents and bottle of water in hand as she prepared for trial
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisted her arrest was not “politically motivated.”
The Women’s National Basketball Association star was arrested and charged with smuggling a large amount of drugs.
If found guilty, the offense can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Still, legal experts argue it’s “probable” that Griner will be convicted — and that the whole affair is a “negotiation strategy.”
Danielle Gilbert, assistant professor of military and strategic studies at the US Air Force Academy, told ESPN, “It’s a negotiation strategy. The trial – and the threat of a long sentence – gives the Russians more bargaining power.
“Hostage diplomacy relies on the pretense of the law to feign a legitimate trial.”
US officials and a host of athletes have called for the release of Griner — or “BG” as she’s known to basketball fans.
She was handcuffed during her appearance and accompanied by a prison guard to court
US embassy officials also reportedly attended the Khimki court hearing today
Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, is considered by many to be one of the best female athletes in the world
Campaigners say Griner was wrongfully detained and must be immediately returned to her family in the United States.
Griner’s wife Cherelle said she has been used as a “political pawn” in a standoff between the US and Russia.
Griner’s detention also raised concerns that Moscow could use the two-time Olympic gold medalist to negotiate the release of a high-profile Russian into US custody.
Griner supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one seen in April in which Navy veteran Trevor Reed was sent home in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.
Others have suggested she could be trafficked along with Paul Whelan, a former naval and security director serving a 16-year prison sentence over an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as intentional.
The Kremlin has said Griner has violated Russian laws and has denied being held hostage amid Russia’s standoff with the United States.
Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury, is considered by many to be one of the best female athletes in the world.
She played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA off-season, as did several other American players who were offered lucrative contracts by the Russian Women’s Basketball Premier League.
Many have now left the Russian league amid Griner’s imprisonment and the war in Ukraine.
Russian news media has repeatedly speculated that she could be traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year prison sentence on charges of conspiracy to murder American citizens and aid a terrorist organization. .
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insists the arrest was not ‘politically motivated’
Griner is a two-time gold medalist and a star of the American women’s basketball league
WNBA fans chanted her name and campaigned for her immediate release from custody
Russia has been campaigning for Bout’s release for years.
But the discrepancy between Griner’s case and Bout’s global trade in deadly weapons could make such an exchange unpleasant for the US.
Others have suggested she could be trafficked along with Paul Whelan, a former Marine and Security Director serving a 16-year prison sentence over an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as intentional.
The WNBA has acknowledged Griner’s absence this season in a number of ways, including social media posts from many players and the league placing a decal with her initials and number on the home floors of all 12 teams of that league.
In early May, Griner’s case was turned over to the US Presidential Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs (SPEHA), which is negotiating the release of hostages and other Americans who are being wrongly held.
The allegations against Griner have not been proven in court and several officials have accused the Russian government of filing false charges against Griner and other imprisoned Americans.
Griner is a formidable basketball player and two-time Olympic gold medalist widely regarded as one of the best players in the country
The Olympian pleaded not guilty to the charges in a Moscow court.
After repeated requests, a foreign ministry official in Moscow was granted consular access to Griner last month and the first-team squad for the WNBA was in “good condition.”
“We have been able to monitor her condition, we will continue to work closely with her legal team, with her wider network, to ensure she is treated fairly,” a representative said at the time.
“Our official has determined that Brittney Griner is in good shape and we will continue to make every effort to ensure that she is treated fairly during this order.”
Her only problem was that the prison beds in the prison were reportedly too short for her six-foot-tall frame.