KHIMKI, Russia (AP)-WNBA star Britney Greener’s lawyer in the Russian drug possession case delivered a letter to the court on Friday advising a US doctor to use medical marijuana as a pain reliever.
Griner, a two-time Olympian and Phoenix Mercury, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after customs officials said they found cans of e-cigarettes filled with cannabis oil in his luggage. He faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of drug trafficking.
In court last week, Griner pleaded guilty and admitted that he had the cans, but said he was not malicious and they were in his trunk as he was in a hurry to return to Russia to play basketball. The UMMC Ekaterinburg team is in the WNBA off-season.
WNBA star and two-time Olympian Brittney Griner stands in a cage in the courtroom in front of the Khimki District Court hearing, near Moscow, Russia, on Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Dmitry Srebryakov)
In the Russian judicial system, admission of guilt does not automatically mean the end of the trial. Following this revelation, court hearings focused on affidavits of his personal and good character and athleticism.
“The attending physician advised Britney on the use of medical marijuana,” said her attorney, Maria Blagovina. “Authorization granted on behalf of the Arizona Department of Health.”
WNBA star and two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner speaks in the courtroom with her lawyers Alexander Boikov (right) and Maria Blagovolina at the Khimki District Court hearing near Moscow, Russia, on Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
The defense also announced on Friday that the tests it conducted as part of its anti-doping testing did not find any banned substances in its system.
The next hearing in the Griner case is scheduled for July 26.
U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken have said they are doing everything they can to free him and other Americans the United States believes have been “accidentally detained”, including former Marine who served in the United States, Paul Whelan. told. 16 years in prison. in spy cases.
However, Washington may have little interference with Moscow due to intense hostility towards its military operation in Ukraine.
“At the hearings yesterday and today, it is clear that there is great respect and admiration both in America and here in Russia, where Miss has played basketball for seven years. Greener, not only for his professional achievements, but also for his character. and honesty,” said Elizabeth Rood, Charge d’affaires at the US Embassy, outside the courthouse in Khimki, near Moscow, where the airport is located.
The director and captain of the UMMC Yekaterinburg team testified in his defense on Thursday.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic champion Brittney Griner speaks in the courtroom with her lawyers Alexander Boikov (right) and Maria Blagovolina at the Khimki District Court hearing near Moscow, Russia, on Friday, July 15, 2022. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)
Russian media speculated that Griner could be traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “Death Merchant”, who was sentenced to 25 years in the United States after being convicted of conspiring to kill US citizens and aid a terrorist. organization.
Russia has been campaigning for Bout’s release for years. But a large difference in the severity of their cases could render such a deal unsatisfactory for Washington. Others thought Griner could be sold, along with Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in Russia on charges of espionage, which the US described as a trap.
The State Department’s admission that Griner was wrongfully imprisoned puts the case under the supervision of the President’s Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, who is de facto the government’s hostage negotiator. The classification angered Russia.
When asked about the possibility of exchanging Griner for a Russian woman detained in the United States, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, a senior Russian diplomat, replied: “As the deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov awaits the completion of his trial, there is “no formal or procedural basis for discussing any issue”. said next steps.”
Ryabkov warned that criticism of the United States, including explaining that Griner was wrongfully imprisoned and outrageous in his comments about Russia’s judicial system, “prevents any detailed discussion of a possible trade-off”.
Griner was allowed to remain in detention until December 20, suggesting that the trial could take several months. But Griner’s lawyers said they expect the process to be completed by early August.
Source: Breitbart
