MOSCOW –
American basketball star Brittney Griner will appear again in a Russian court on Thursday to continue a trial that was rocked last week when she abruptly pleaded guilty to drug possession charges.
With the US government under pressure at home to do more to secure their freedom, the guilty plea could be an attempt to expedite the court process so all negotiations can move forward. A senior Russian diplomat said Moscow could not take any action until the end of the process.
The Phoenix Mercury center and WNBA All-Star was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport in February while returning to play basketball in Russia. Police said they found vape canisters containing cannabis oil in their luggage. Griner, 31, who has since been held in custody, faces charges that could see her sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Griner pleaded guilty during the previous court hearing on July 7, saying she had no intention of committing a crime and acted unwittingly because she was packing in a rush to Moscow.
US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said they would do whatever they could to secure the release of Griner, as well as other Americans the US considers “wrongly imprisoned” by Russia, including former Marine Paul Whelan.
However, Washington may have little leverage over Moscow because of strong hostility over its military operation in Ukraine.
Russian media have speculated that Griner could be swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Dealer of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the US after being convicted of conspiring to murder US citizens and provide aid to one Terrorists had been convicted organization.
Russia has been campaigning for Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy in the seriousness of their cases could make such a deal unpalatable to Washington. Others have suggested Griner could be traded alongside Whelan, who is serving 16 years in Russia on a spy conviction the US has described as a trap.
The State Department’s designation of Griner as a wrongfully imprisoned puts her case under the oversight of the President’s Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator. The classification irritated Russia.
Asked if Griner could be swapped out for a Russian detained in the US, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, the senior Russian diplomat, noted that until the end of their trial, “there are no formal or procedural grounds to discuss further steps.” .
Ryabkov warned that US criticism, including describing 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.”
Griner’s detention was granted until December 20, suggesting the process could take months. However, Griner’s attorneys said they expect to close in early August.