Russian court extends arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner by one month
Brittney Griner’s lawyer has revealed that her current pre-trial detention has been extended by one month. Back in February, the American basketball star was detained after authorities found hashish oil in her luggage. “As a US citizen was passing through the green channel at Sheremetyevo Airport upon arriving from New York, a working dog from the Sheremetyevo Customs canine department detected the possible presence of narcotic substances in the accompanying luggage,” Russian customs officials said.
If the two-time Olympic gold medalist is found guilty, she could face up to 10 years in prison. For the last few months, Griner has been held in a detention centre in Khimki City, 14 miles northwest of downtown Moscow.
According to human rights group Public Monitoring Commission, she is sharing a cell with two other prisoners. In March, Russian state news agency TASS, revealed that a Moscow court “granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the US citizen Griner until May 19.” However, a few days before the aforementioned date, Griner’s lawyer Alexander Boykov revealed troubling news regarding her detainment.
