American basketball star Brittany Griner will be tried in Russia on Friday for possession of illegal cannabis. The 31-year-old, a three-time WNBA League champion and seven-time All-Star, could face 10 years in prison if convicted.
The date for the trial was set at a brief hearing that the Phoenix Mercury player attended on Monday. His detention was also extended by at least six months. Griner was detained on February 17 at an airport in the Moscow region after cannabis oil was allegedly found in his luggage.
The maximum prison sentence applies to “mass transportation of drugs”. However, even if acquitted at trial, the government in Russia has the right to overturn any decision and still send Griner to prison.
Griner, affiliated with the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), is considered one of the most influential players in the history of her sport.
She went to Russia to play for Euroleague team UMMC Ekaterinburg, where she worked during the US off-season from 2014. About half of WNBA players compete overseas in the off-season.
For most, it’s a way to increase their household income, with WNBA players being paid nearly five times more in Russia than in the United States.
Griner’s arrest has found political backing in his native America, and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a televised interview on Sunday: “I don’t get any higher priority than making sure Americans are illegal in one way or another.” Being detained. The world comes home.
