WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in a courtroom on Friday to begin her trial more than four months after she was arrested in Russia for allegedly possessing a banned substance.
Russian prosecutors revealed their case against Griner, alleging that she was in possession of two cartridges containing 0.702 grams of cannabis oil back on February 17th when she was taken into custody at Sheremetyevo Airport with the intention of smuggling in the “narcotics,” according to Russian News Agency TASS.
“Being quite aware that it is banned to carry narcotic substances in the Eurasian Economic Union, she bought two cartridges holding 0.252 and 0.45 grams of cannabis oil, or 0.702 grams in total, for personal consumption from an unidentified person in an unidentified location and under unidentified circumstances but not later than February 17, 2022,” the prosecutor claimed.
Griner could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. She told a Reuters reporter present in the courtroom that she is struggling with her detention because of the language barrier.
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She did not enter a plea and a judge ordered the trial be adjourned until July 7.
Griner’s arrest came a week before Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, but news of her detention did not spread until March. She is facing a court system where the acquittal rate is less than 1%.
