Griner has acknowledged that she was carrying vapor cans containing cannabis oil when she was arrested in February at a Moscow airport, but claims she had no criminal intent and that the cans ended up in her luggage unintentionally due to hasty packing. “We do not dispute that Brittney took it here as medicine. We still say he brought it here involuntarily because he was in a hurry,” defense attorney Alexander Boykov said after the hearing in which a Russian neuropsychologist testified about the global use of medicinal cannabis. “The Russian public should know, and the Russian court in principle should know, that it was not used for entertainment purposes in the United States. It was prescribed by a doctor,” he said. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist who plays for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The medical testimony and Griner’s admission that she had the canisters is intended to get her a lenient sentence. “We have many mitigating factors. So we hope the court will take this into consideration. And the courts in Russia, in fact, have very wide discretion when it comes to sentencing,” said Maria Blagovolina, another lawyer for Griner. The two-time Olympic gold medalist’s trial began on July 1, but only five sessions have been held, some lasting only about an hour. Griner’s slow trial and five-month detention drew sharp criticism from her teammates and supporters in the United States, who officially declared her “unreasonably detained,” a characterization strongly rejected by Russian officials. Elizabeth Rudd, chargé d’affaires of the US embassy, attended Tuesday’s court hearing. Griner “confirms that she is doing well and can be expected under these circumstances,” she told reporters. Griner was arrested in February amid rising US-Moscow tensions ahead of Russia sending troops to Ukraine later that month. Some supporters argue that he is being held in Russia as a pawn, possibly for a prisoner exchange. US soccer star Megan Rapinoe last week said she was “apparently being held as a political prisoner”. The Russian Foreign Ministry last week denied the US claim that Griner is being detained unfairly and said Russian laws must be followed. “If a US citizen was arrested in connection with the fact that she was smuggling drugs, and she does not deny this, then this should be analogous to our Russian local laws, and not those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington. “, said the representative Maria Zakharova. “If drugs are legalized in the United States, in many states, and it has been for a long time, and now the whole country is going to become a drug addict, that does not mean that all other countries are going the same way.” she added. Russian media have speculated that Griner could be traded for prominent Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is imprisoned in the United States, and that Paul Whelan, an American jailed in Russia for espionage, may also be involved in a swap. US officials have not commented on the prospects for such a trade. Russian officials said no exchange could be discussed until the legal proceedings against Griner were completed. It’s unclear how long the trial will last, but a judge has ordered Griner held until Dec. 20. Earlier trial sessions included character witness testimony from the director and captain of the Russian team Griner played for in the off-season, along with written testimony, including a letter from a doctor who said he had authorized her to use cannabis for pain treatment.
