KHIMKI, Russia — Lawyers for US basketball star Brittney Griner, who is standing
trial in Russia on drug charges, said on Tuesday they hoped she would receive a
“lenient” sentence.اضافة اعلان
Griner, a
two-time Olympic basketball gold medalist and Women’s NBA champion who had
played in Russia, was detained in February, just days before Moscow launched
its offensive in Ukraine
She was charged
with drug smuggling for possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil.
She pleaded
guilty and faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison.
The athlete, who
is 2.06m tall, made a court appearance in the Moscow suburb of Khimki on
Tuesday.
Speaking to
reporters, one of her lawyers, Alexander Boykov, said the 31-year-old
basketball player would “probably” be cross-examined on Wednesday.
Her defense team
expressed hope she would receive a lenient sentence, taking into account “a lot
of extenuating circumstances”.
“We expect a
rather lenient sentence,” Boykov said.
He stressed that
even in the US — where Griner had permission from a US doctor to use cannabis
for medicinal reasons — the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star
only used it “occasionally”, in order to relieve pain.
A medical expert
working with the defense team, Mikhail Tetyushkin, told the court that medical
marijuana — outlawed in Russia — was widely used in the world for medical
purposes.
US Embassy
Charge d’Affaires Elizabeth Rood, who attended the hearing, said her team had
spoken to Griner, who confirmed she was “doing okay and as well as can be
expected”.
Griner was
detained when she came to Russia in February to play club basketball with UMMC
Ekaterinburg during the US off-season — a common path for American stars
seeking additional income.
Her high-profile
case has become a new sticking point in relations between the United States and
Russia, with Washington putting its special envoy in charge of hostages on the
case.
US President Joe Biden
has spoken to the star’s family, saying he will make it a “priority” to bring
her home.
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