MOSCOW –
Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to a Russian court to face her trial on drug charges on Thursday, when a senior Russian diplomat warned that US criticism of the way Russia is handling the case is hurting her prospects would not help on release.
Griner’s trial began last week amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest.
Ahead of Thursday’s hearing, Russian police escorted Griner, handcuffed and wearing a bright red T-shirt and track pants, past a crowd of journalists into the courtroom.
The athlete was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage. If convicted of large-scale drug trafficking, she faces up to ten years in prison.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned Thursday that “attempts by the American side to make noise in public…do not help the practical resolution of problems.”
The White House said President Joe Biden called Griner’s wife Wednesday to reassure her that he was doing everything in his power to secure the athlete’s release as soon as possible. They spoke after Biden read a letter from Griner in which she said she feared she would never return home.
Washington has not made its strategy public in this case, and the United States may have little leverage over Moscow because of the strong hostility stemming from Russian military actions in Ukraine. The State Department has labeled Griner unlawfully detained and placed her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.
When asked if Griner could be swapped out for a Russian jailed in the US, Ryabkov, the senior Russian diplomat, noted that until the end of her trial, “there are no formal or procedural grounds to talk about further steps.”
He warned that US criticism, including a description of Griner as wrongly imprisoned and derogatory comments about Russia’s judicial system, “makes it difficult to engage in a detailed discussion of a possible replacement.”
“The insistence with which the US government … describes as ‘wrongly arrested’ those convicted of serious criminal articles and those awaiting the completion of investigations and court sentences reflects Washington’s refusal to have a sober view of the world,” Ryabkov snapped.
The trial of the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist was adjourned after it began last week because two scheduled witnesses failed to appear. Such delays are commonplace in Russian courts, and her detention has been granted until December 20, suggesting the trial could take months.
It was unclear if Griner would testify Thursday.
Although Griner’s supporters initially kept a low profile, calls to the United States grew louder after the first day of the trial.
Rev. Al Sharpton, one of America’s most prominent black activists, this week urged Biden to set up a prayer meeting with Griner, saying, “Four months is too long for this to go on and I hope the president follows up.” her request to come home.”
An organization called Win With Black Women sent Biden a letter stating that Secretary of State Antony Blinken had “called Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife, and assured her and publicly stated that Brittney’s safe return was a matter of personal priority; however, we are concerned that the rhetoric does not seem consistent with the actions taken so far. We urge you to strike a deal to bring Brittney home quickly.
Russian news media have repeatedly speculated that Griner could be swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “The Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US for conspiring to murder US citizens and Providing assistance to a terrorist organization.
Russia has been campaigning for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy between Griner’s alleged wrongdoing and Bout’s global deadly weapons trade could make such a swap uncomfortable for Washington.
Others have suggested she could be traded alongside Paul Whelan, a former naval and security director who is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia on a spying conviction the US has repeatedly described as intrigue.
Russia has shown no signs of retreat.
“This is a serious offense backed by indisputable evidence… Attempts to present the case as if the American was illegally detained do not stand up,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexei Zaitsev said on Wednesday.
“The law has been violated and arguments about the innocence of Griner’s addiction, which incidentally is a criminal offense in some US states, are inappropriate in this case,” he said.
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