The plight of WNBA star Brittney Griner, detained in Russia since February, continues as a Moscow court made it known that the basketballer’s arrest has been extended until May 19 while the investigation into the case is conducted.
“The court granted the investigation request and extended the detention period of U.S. citizen Griner until May 19,” the court said, according to Russian state news agency TASS.
U.S. consul has failed to visit Griner
According to the same state source, Ekaterina Kalugina, a representative of the Moscow Public Monitoring Commission (ONK), has visited Griner in his pre-trial detention center to review the treatment of prisoners.
Kalugina also assured that the U.S. consul has not visited the Phoenix Mercury star, despite the willingness of the Russian authorities to “create all conditions” for his visit.
However, Colin Allred, a Texas congressman and U.S. representative to Russia who said Griner was arrested on Feb. 17, has claimed that the WNBA player had not been granted consular access, something “really unusual,” he told ESPN.
Griner would be sharing a cell with two other people with no prior record like her, and the only difficulty for the player at the remand center is that the bed she has to rest on is too small for her nearly six feet tall.
Griner could face up to 10 years in prison
Griner is still awaiting trial in which she faces up to 10 years in prison for drug trafficking, after she was arrested for allegedly carrying vape cartridges with hashish oil in her hand luggage.
The WNBA star was in Russia due to her participation with UMMC Ekaterinburg, a Russian team she has played with since 2015 during the WNBA offseason, averaging 13.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game this past season.
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