Brittney Griner being taken to trial in Moscow
(Picture: AP)American basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug possession during her trial in Moscow but claims she had no intention of committing a crime.
The 31-year-old has been in a Moscow jail for five months since being detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after vape canisters with cannabis oil allegedly were found in her luggage.
She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs.
Russian media quoted Griner as saying through an interpreter at the court hearing that she had acted unintentionally because she was packing in haste.
"I'd like to plead guilty, your honour. But there was no intent. I didn't want to break the law," Griner said in English which was then translated into Russian for the court.
"I'd like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare," she added.
The next court hearing was scheduled for July 14.
Representatives for Griner confirmed to The Associated Press that the athlete had pleaded guilty to drug possession charges.
Griner's lawyer Alexander Boykov told reporters they were hoping for the most lenient sentencing possible.
The trial of the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist began last week amid a growing chorus of calls for President Joe Biden to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest.
Before Thursday’s hearing, Russian police escorted Griner, handcuffed and clad in a bright red T-shirt and sports trousers, into the courtroom past a crowd of journalists.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Thursday that “attempts by the American side to make noise in public ... don’t help the practical settlement of issues.”
The White House said President Joe Biden called Griner’s wife on Wednesday to assure her that he’s doing all he can to obtain the athlete’s release, as soon as possible. They spoke after Biden read a letter from Griner in which she said she feared she’d never return home.
Russian news media have repeatedly speculated that Griner could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.
Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy between Griner’s alleged offence and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to Washington.
