WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared at a preliminary hearing in Russia on Monday, and her detention was extended for six months. A trial is now scheduled for July 1. She could face 10 years in prison if convicted.
July 1 Trial date set for WNBA star Brittney Griner in Russia
Brittney Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport for alleged cannabis possession over four months ago.
At a preliminary court hearing held behind closed doors in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, Griner’s detention for another six months. She had previously been ordered to remain in pretrial detention until July 2, Sports Illustrated reported.
The Russian court also set a trial date of July 1.
Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury, part of the Women's National Basketball Association.
In May, the State Department reclassified Griner as wrongfully detained. The US shifted oversight of her case to its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, which is the US government's chief negotiator.
Griner could face 10 years in prison
Griner could face 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of large-scale transportation of drugs, ESPN reported. Statistically, less than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, according to SI. Further, unlike in the United States, acquittals can be overturned.
However, Russia has indicated that it is willing to negotiate her release, and the legal proceedings are simply a pretense to put a sheen of legitimacy on the saga, according to several experts and officials familiar with Griner's case who spoke to ESPN.
Nonetheless, exacerbating the situation for Griner is the fact that her arrest and detention came with very unfortunate timing, with relations between Washington and Moscow at an extraordinarily low point. Her arrest occurred less than a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, which aggravated tensions that were already high due to sweeping sanctions by the United States before the invasion occurred, as well as Russia denouncing the US supplying Ukraine with weapons.
Some believe Russia might be willing to release Griner in a prisoner exchange. The US made a prisoner swap in April that exchanged Marine veteran Trevor Reed for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy.
Russian news media has speculated that Griner might be exchanged for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, dubbed 'The Merchant of Death.' Bout is currently serving a 25-year sentence after being convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.