After Russian authorities finally set a trial date for WNBA star Brittney Griner months after her arrest for allegedly bringing vape cartridges containing cannabis-derived oil through a Moscow airport, Griner’s agent has issued an official response.
The hearing was “administrative in nature and not on merits,” according to Lindsay Kagawa Colas. She begged Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden once more to reach an agreement to bring Griner home.
“That said, the fact remains that the U.S. Government has determined that Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained and being used as a political pawn,” she tweeted.
“The negotiation for her immediate release regardless of the legal proceedings should remain a top priority and we expect @POTUS and @VP to do everything in their power, right now, to get a deal done to bring her home.”
The WNBA star was ordered to remain in custody throughout her criminal trial, which was scheduled to begin on July 1. Her detention was extended by the Khimki court in the Moscow suburb for an additional six months. If found guilty, she could spend up to 10 years in prison.
Brittney Griner’s detention
In February, Griner was detained at Sheremetyevo Airport on suspicion of passing through security with vape cartridges containing cannabis-derived oils. She was taken into custody a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, but word of her detention did not spread until March.
When it came to commenting on Griner’s arrest, American officials and the WNBA kept quiet. The pressure to have Griner released did not start to increase until the State Department changed its classification of her as being “wrongfully detained.”
The possibility of exchanging prisoners for Griner and convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, also known as the “Merchant of Death,” has been discussed in Russian media.
After being found guilty of conspiring to kill Americans and giving support to a terrorist group, Bout is currently serving a 25-year sentence. Officials from Russia recently played down the likelihood of the trade.
On CNN on Sunday, a question regarding a potential trade for Griner and another detained American, Paul Whelan, who is serving a 16-year sentence for espionage, was posed to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
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