WNBA star Brittney Greiner pleaded guilty in Russia on Thursday to drug possession and smuggling charges, telling a Moscow court that she accidentally brought marijuana into the country.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian officials alleged she had cannabis oil in her luggage. A Russian judge ordered Griner, the Phoenix Mercury center who played in Russia during the WNBA offseason, to remain in custody.
“I would like to plead guilty to the charges against me, but I had no intention of breaking Russian laws,” she told the court. “I was in a hurry to pack and the tapes accidentally ended up in my bags.”
U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner is escorted before a court hearing in Khimki, outside Moscow, Russia, July 7, 2022. EVGENIA NOVOJHENINA/REUTERS
Griner’s Russian legal team said the guilty plea was “her decision made after discussions with her legal defense team.”
“Britney exemplifies courage,” the lawyers said in a statement. “She has decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows she is a role model for many people.
“Given the nature of her case, the insignificance of BG’s content and personality, and history of positive contributions to world and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the charge will be viewed by the court as mitigating and will not result in a harsh sentence.” , the lawyers added.
Another witness was questioned at Thursday’s hearing before Griner pleaded guilty. The WNBA player is expected to testify at a later date and has asked for time to prepare for it. The meeting was adjourned until July 14.
If convicted of drug-smuggling charges, Greener could face 10 years in a Russian prison.
Griner’s plea could bring a verdict in her case closer, allowing her defense team and US officials to launch proceedings to try to secure her release.
Russian media have speculated that Griner could be part of a prisoner swap similar to the one the US and Russia arranged in the spring, swapping former Marine Trevor Reed for pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was jailed years ago on drug-smuggling charges. drugs.
A senior Russian diplomat signaled earlier Thursday that Moscow would be willing to negotiate Griner’s fate, but only after the court delivers its verdict. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also criticized US attempts to “make a fuss” about Griner’s case after the US government classified her as “unlawfully detained” and appointed a “hostage envoy” to work on her case.
“We have a long-established form of discussion of these issues, and the attempts of the American side to make noise and noise in the public space are clear to us, they do not help to solve the issue in practice,” said Ryabkov. according to the TASS agency.
In a handwritten letter from Greener that was delivered to the White House on Monday, the WNBA player wrote how terrified she was that she could be imprisoned in Russia “forever.”
President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Griner’s wife Cheryl on Wednesday. The White House said he tried to “reassure her that he is working to secure Britney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whalen and other US citizens wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world”.
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