Topline
WNBA star Brittney Griner’s trial began near Moscow Friday, more than four months after she was arrested for allegedly breaking the country’s cannabis possession laws, even as U.S. officials continued to insist she has been wrongfully detained as diplomatic ties between the two countries soured following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a … [+]
Key Facts
Griner’s trial is taking place in the city Khimki on the outskirts of the Russian capital and is expected to take at least two months.
Elizabeth Rood, the charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, is also in attendance at court, CNN’s Frederik Pleitgen reported.
At a preliminary hearing earlier this week, the court in Khimki extended Griner’s detention—which was supposed to end on July 2—to December 20.
The Associated Press notes that less than 1% of all criminal cases in Russia end in an acquittal and even those can be overturned.
If convicted for drug possession, Griner faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison.
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside … [+]
US WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Griner arrives to a hearing at the Khimki Court, outside … [+]
What To Watch For
A ruling, in this case, is not expected for at least two months, Griner’s Russian lawyers said on Monday. In May, Forbes reported that U.S. officials are negotiating a possible prisoner swap involving Griner and Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout who is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence in the U.S. Bout, whose international arms operations earned him the moniker “Merchant of Death,” was arrested in Bangkok in an operation led by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency officials and was convicted by a New York Federal court in 2011 for attempting to sell weapons to the Colombian rebel group FARC.
Key Background
Griner was detained in February as she landed at an airport in Moscow after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage. Like several top WNBA stars, Griner had flown to Russia during the league’s off-season to participate in the much more lucrative Russian Premier League. Officials in Washington have refused to buy Russia’s line on Griner’s detention and she has been officially classified as wrongfully detained by the U.S. government. Former U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson—who has experience in handling international hostage negotiations—is also assisting in the basketball star’s case. The Kremlin’s top spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, however, insisted in an interview with NBC News that Griner was not being held hostage and she was simply being penalized for breaking Russian law.
Further Reading
Kremlin Insists Brittney Griner Is Not A ‘Hostage’ After Extending Her Detention A Third Time (Forbes)
Trial for US basketball star begins in Moscow-area court (Associated Press)
Russia Hints at Linking Griner’s Case to Fate of ‘Merchant of Death’ (New York Times)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2022/07/01/brittney-griners-trial-begins-in-moscow-court-heres-what-to-watch-for/