American basketball star Brittney Griner testified at her drug trial in Russia on Wednesday that an interpreter she provided during her interrogation translated only part of what was said and officials ordered her to sign documents without giving him any explanation.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February. She admitted in court earlier this month that she had vaporizer cans containing cannabis oil when she arrived in Russia, but claims she had no criminal intent and that the cans ended up in her luggage accidentally.
During his testimony, the Phoenix Mercury star described taking a grueling 13-hour flight to Moscow from Arizona while recovering from Covid-19. Griner said she still doesn’t know how the cannabis oil, for which she had a doctor’s recommendation, ended up in her bag, but explained that she had packed in a hurry while under great stress.
She recalled how her luggage was checked in upon her arrival in Moscow and how she was turned away after inspectors found the cartridges.
Along with the interpreter who provided an incomplete translation, Griner said she was not offered an explanation of her rights or access to lawyers and was asked to sign documents without an explanation of what they entailed.
Griner said that after hours of procedures she did not understand, she was allowed to hand over her personal belongings to an attorney before being handcuffed. She said she received only a cursory translation of the charges against her during a February 19 hearing where a court sanctioned her detention.
Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of drug trafficking. His trial began on July 1, and the previous five court sessions have been short, some lasting only about an hour.
It is unclear how long the trial will last, but a court has authorized Griner’s detention until December 20. Griner went to Russia to play for UMMC Yekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason.
During Tuesday’s court session, a Russian neuropsychologist testified about the worldwide use of medicinal cannabis, which remains illegal in Russia. Griner’s defense team has submitted a letter from an American doctor recommending that the basketball player use medical cannabis to treat pain.
Griner said Wednesday that he was in pain from injuries he suffered during his basketball career. He noted that cannabis oil is widely used in the United States for medicinal purposes and has fewer negative effects than some other pain relievers.
A spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry said last week that the legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use in some parts of the United States was unrelated to what is happening in Russia.
Griner’s slow trial and five months in detention have drawn sharp criticism from her teammates and supporters in the United States, who have formally declared her “arrested by mistake,” a designation Russian officials have vehemently rejected .
Griner was arrested in February amid rising tensions between the US and Moscow ahead of Russia sending troops into Ukraine later this month. Some supporters claim she is being held in Russia as a pawn, possibly for a prisoner exchange. American soccer player Megan Rapinoe said last week that she is “being held as a political prisoner, obviously.”
Russian media have speculated that Griner could be traded for prominent Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is jailed in the United States, and that Paul Whelan, an American jailed in Russia for espionage, could also be involved in a swap.
US officials have not commented on the prospects for that trade. Russian officials have said that no exchange could be discussed until the conclusion of the legal proceedings against Griner.