The 31-year-old, three-time champion and seven-time All-Star in the WNBA, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The American basketball star Britney Greener will be tried in Russia on Friday on charges of illegal possession of cannabis. The 31-year-old three-time champion and seven-time All-Star in the WNBA (Women’s NBA) could face 10 years in prison if convicted.
The date of the trial was decided at a brief hearing attended by the Phoenix Mercury player on Monday.
Her detention was also extended for at least six months. Greiner was arrested on February 17 at a Moscow airport after allegedly being found hemp oil in her luggage.
The maximum prison sentence applies to “large-scale drug trafficking”. However, even if acquitted at trial, the Russian government has the power to overturn any decision and send Greener to prison.
Greiner is one of the most important players in the history of her sport, having two Olympic medals in her assets. He traveled to Russia to play for the Euroleague team UMMC Ekaterinburg, where he worked since 2014 when he was out of season in the US league.
Greener’s arrest provoked reactions in the United States, and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a televised interview Sunday: “I have no higher priority than to ensure that Americans detained illegally in one way or another will return home. He added: “I can not comment in detail on what we are doing, except to say that this is an absolute priority.”
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