Russian authorities paraded WNBA star Brittney Griner in court near Moscow on Friday and extended her pre-trial detention for another month, her lawyer said.
via: CNN
Griner, who the US government has said is being wrongfully detained, will now be held at least until June 18, a court in Khimki outside Moscow ruled Friday, TASS reported, citing the court’s press service. Leaving a hearing Friday in the Khimki court, she was handcuffed, wearing an orange hooded pullover with her head down, an Associated Press photo shows.
Supporters including Griner’s family and the WNBA have vigorously advocated for her release, with some expressing concerns Russia would use Griner as a political pawn amid tensions between that nation and the US over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
A two-time Olympic gold medalist and star for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, Griner, 31, was arrested in February at a Moscow airport. Russian authorities said Griner had cannabis oil in her luggage and accused her of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance – an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. She had been playing for a Russian team in the WNBA offseason.
A Russian court announced in March it had extended Griner’s detention until mid-May. A trial date had not been set, a source close to the situation told CNN at the time.
