A Russian court ruled Monday that a US Women’s Basketball Association star Britney Greener should stand trial on Friday and her detention should be extended by six months, her lawyer said.
More than four months after being arrested for storing cannabis at the Moscow airport, Greener, 31, appeared temporarily in Khimki, a Moscow suburb, for a preliminary hearing on Monday.
In an interview with CNN, Greener’s attorney, Alexander Boykov, confirmed that the trial would start on Friday and shared that the court decided that Greener’s detention would be extended six months before the trial.
The Phoenix Mercury star will remain in custody during the trial. She faces up to 10 years in prison for massive drug trafficking.
Greener was seen wearing a gray T-shirt and glasses as he was taken to the Russian court on Monday.
Greener, arrested in February, will remain in detention in Russia until at least July 2, according to the first Russian state media, TASS.
The basketball star was arrested in February at Sheremetyevo International Airport near Moscow after authorities found a cartridge containing hemp oil in his bag.
Last month, the Biden administration said the basketball star was “accidentally arrested by the Russian government.” The aggressive rhetoric demonstrates the commitment of the US government to secure her release when legal action is taken against her.
The US State Department’s move in the Gleiner case followed the release of Navy veteran Trevor Reed after returning to Russia from the Russian prisoner exchange.
Last Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the wife of WNBA star Cherel Greener.
He has reportedly not been able to speak to his wife since February, when he was first arrested in Russia.
“I have a higher priority than making sure that Americans who are in any way illegally involved in the world come home,” Blinken told CNN.
“This includes Paul Wheelan, including Britney Greener, which includes people from other countries,” he added. Welan was arrested in Moscow in 2018 and charged with espionage, which he denied.
“I can’t comment in detail on what we’re doing other than to say it’s a top priority,” Blinken said.
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Source: Metro
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