A Russian court has set the start date of the trial for U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner for July 1, more than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport.
MOSCOW — More than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport for cannabis possession, a Russian court has set the start date of the trial for U.S. basketball star The Phoenix Mercury star was also ordered to remain in custody for the duration of her criminal trial. She could face 10 years in prison if convicted on charges of large-scale transportation of drugs. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and unlike in the U.S., acquittals can be overturned.
Griner’s detention and trial come at an extraordinarily low point in Moscow-Washington relations. She was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport less than a week before Russia sent troops into Ukraine, which aggravated already-high tensions with sweeping sanctions by the United States and Russia’s denunciation of U.S. weapon supplies to Ukraine.
That move has drawn additional attention to Griner’s case, with supporters encouraging a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy. Russia has agitated for Bout’s release for years. But the discrepancy between Griner’s case — she allegedly was found in possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil — and Bout’s global dealings in deadly weapons could make such a swap unpalatable to the U.S., a former Marine and security director serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that the United States has repeatedly described as a set-up.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
WNBA star Brittney Griner appears in Russian court, criminal trial set for July 1WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in court for a preliminary hearing ahead of her July 1 trial, more than four months after she was arrested at a Moscow airport for cannabis possession. On Monday, the court extended her detention for another six months.
Read more »
Q&A: Why is Brittney Griner detained in Russia and when might she be released?WNBA star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since Feb. 17. Her arrest, incarceration and the fight to bring her home has triggered extensive questions The Times asked an array of experts to help answer.
Read more »
Valorant will start monitoring your voice chats starting July 13thRiot plans to use chat logs to help evaluate player reports.
Read more »
Where to watch 4th of July fireworks in NYC, NY, NJ and CTHere's a list of the many communities around the Tri-State planning Independence Day celebrations with fireworks.
Read more »
What to watch on HBO Max: New shows and movies in July 2022HBO Max has revealed all of its new releases for July 2022, including The Rehearsal, Rap Sh!t, and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin.
Read more »