Brittney Griner was arrested in February on cannabis possession charges at an airport while traveling to play for a Russian team.
Brittney Griner appeared in a Moscow-area court for trial Friday, about 4 1/2 months after she was arrested on cannabis possession charges at an airport while traveling to play for a Russian team.
The athlete’s detention and trial come at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. Griner was arrested less than a week beforeThe invasion led to sweeping sanctions imposed by the United States, and Russia denounced the U.S. for sending weapons to Ukraine.Phoenix Mercury player and WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner has been jailed in Russia after vape cartridges were found in her luggage at a Moscow airport, according to multiple reports.
Griner’s supporters have kept a low profile in hopes of a quiet resolution, until May, when the State Department Brittney Griner is set to go on trial in Russia after allegedly being found with marijuana at the Moscow airport. The WNBA star, who has been detained since February, will be seated in a steel cage inside the courtroom, and unable to communicate with her attorneys. Legal expert Aron Solomon says the legal system in Russia is structured towards a conviction and that Griner "will 100% be found guilty" and will only be freed if the U.S. and Russia make an agreement.
Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy between Griner’s case — which involves alleged possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil — and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S.
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