Moscow-More than four months after she was arrested at Moscow Airport on suspicion of possessing cannabis, a Russian court set a start date for US basketball star Britney Greener on Friday, July 1.
The Phoenix Mercury star was also ordered to remain in custody during her criminal trial. If she is convicted of a large-scale transport of narcotics, she may face 10 years in prison. Less than 1% of Russian criminal defendants have been acquitted, and unlike the United States, acquittals can be overturned.
On Monday, a court in Khimki on the outskirts of Moscow extended detention for another six months after Grinner appeared in a closed-door preliminary hearing. Her photo taken by AP showed her appearing in her handcuffs. Greener had previously been ordered to continue her pretrial detention until July 2.
Greener’s detention and trials are taking place at a very low point in the relationship between Moscow and Washington. She was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow less than a week after Russia sent troops to Ukraine.
In tension, Greener’s supporters were unobtrusive in hopes of a quiet solution, but in May the State Department reclassified her as illegally detained and monitored her case for hostage issues. Moved to a special presidential envoy. Chief negotiator.
The move drew more attention to Grinner’s case and exchanged prisoners like April when Marine veteran Trevor Reed was taken home in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of a drug trafficking plot. Was encouraged by supporters.
Russian news media said she was sentenced to 25 years in prison for a plot to kill U.S. citizens and is helping a terrorist organization with Russian weapons merchant Victor Bowt, known as the “merchant of death.” Repeatedly raised speculation that it could be exchanged.
Russia has been calling for the release of the match for years. However, the contradiction between Grinner’s case (she is allegedly found to possess an arc cartridge containing cannabis oil) and the global trade in Bout’s deadly weapons is such. The exchange may be unpalatable to the United States.
Others have suggested that she may be traded with Paul Wheelan.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked at CNN on Sunday if a joint exchange between Greener and Welan for a match was being considered and avoided the question.
“As a general suggestion … I have no higher priority than ensuring that Americans who are somehow illegally detained around the world return home,” he said. But “I can’t comment in detail about what we’re doing, except to say that this is an absolute priority.”
Kremlin-funded international civil lawyer Maria Jarmush said that in any exchange, Greener was apparently first convicted and sentenced, and then applied for a presidential amnesty. I told the TV channel RT.
