MOSCOW (AP) – U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty Thursday to drug charges on the second day of her trial in a Russian court in a case that could sentence her to 10 years in prison.
The Phoenix Mercury center and two-time Olympic gold medalist pleaded guilty in the midst of a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure his release nearly five months after his arrest in February in the midst of the growing tensions between the US and Russia over Ukraine. .
A senior Russian diplomat said earlier that Moscow could not take any action on Griner’s case until the trial was over, and her conviction could be an effort by her and her advisers to speed up the judicial process.
Griner, 31, was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport while playing basketball again in Russia, and police said they found in the luggage vape bottles containing cannabis oil.
Speaking through an interpreter, Griner told the court that he had no intention of committing any crime and that he had acted unintentionally because he had packed his bags for Moscow in a hurry. The trial was then postponed until July 14.
Griner stressed “that he had committed this act through negligence, unintentionally,” his lawyer, Maria Blagovolina, told the court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki after pleading guilty.
“Of course, we look forward to the court’s clemency,” he said. “Given all the circumstances of the case, given the personality of our client, we believe that the admission of guilt should certainly be taken into account.”
Blagovolina added that other defense witnesses will be questioned at a later session.
Griner was escorted to the courtroom handcuffed and dressed in a bright red T-shirt with the name “Crenshaw” and sweat pants. He also carried a photo of his wife, Cherelle.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Griner’s conviction “will have no impact in any of the negotiations” on his case.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington will continue to work for the release of Griner, as well as other Americans detained by Moscow, including former Marine Paul Whelan.
“We will not give in until Brittney, Paul Whelan and all other unjustly detained Americans reunite with their loved ones,” he tweeted, noting that U.S. embassy officials attended the trail again Thursday.
Elizabeth Rood, deputy head of embassy mission, said after the hearing that she spoke with Griner in the courtroom and shared with her a letter from President Joe Biden that she read.
“She’s eating well, she’s able to read books, and under the circumstances, she’s fine,” Rood said.
“I would like to reiterate the commitment of the U.S. government at the highest level to bring home Ms. Griner and all U.S. citizens unjustly detained, as well as the commitment of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow to care. and protect the interests of all U.S. citizens detained or imprisoned in Russia, ”Rood said.
Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov faces Griner’s description of the US as “erroneously detained” and warned that “attempts by the US to make noise in public … they do not help to solve problems in practice “.
The White House said Biden called Cherelle Griner on Wednesday to assure her she is doing everything she can to get her released as soon as possible. They spoke after Biden read a letter from Griner in which he said he was afraid he would never return home.
Washington has not revealed its strategy in the case and the US may have little influence with Moscow due to strong animosity over its actions in Ukraine. The designation by Griner’s State Department as an unjustly detained person moves her case under the supervision of her presidential special envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator.
Asked about the possibility of Griner being exchanged for a Russian imprisoned in the United States, Ryabkov, the senior Russian diplomat, noted that until his trial is over “there are no formal or procedural reasons to talk about further steps.”
He warned that US criticism, including a description of Griner as an unjust detainee and contemptuous comments about the Russian judicial system, “make it difficult to engage in a detailed discussion of any possible exchange.”
“The persistence with which the US administration (…) describes those who received prison sentences for serious criminal articles and those awaiting the end of the investigation and court rulings as ‘arrested by mistake’ reflects the Washington ‘s refusal to have a sober view of the outside world, “Ryabkov replied.
Griner’s trial was postponed after its start last week because two scheduled witnesses did not appear. Such delays are common in Russian courts and his detention has been authorized until December 20, suggesting that the proceedings could take months. Griner’s legal team, however, said it expects the trial to conclude in early August.
Although Griner’s supporters initially kept a low profile, calls to Washington to act increased after the first day of the trial on July 1st.
An organization called Win With Black Women wrote to Biden that Blinken had called Cherelle Griner, “assuring her and publicly stating that Brittney’s safe return was a matter of personal priority; however, we are concerned that the rhetoric does not seem aligned. with the actions taken so far. We encourage you to make a deal to get Brittney back home quickly. “
Russian media have repeatedly speculated that Griner could be replaced by Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the merchant of death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. after being convicted of conspiracy to kill American citizens and to help a terrorist organization.
Russia has been demanding Bout’s release for years. But the wide discrepancy between Griner’s alleged offense and Bout’s global dealings with deadly weapons could make this trade unpleasant for Washington.
Others have suggested it could be negotiated along with Paul Whelan, the former director of navy and security who served 16 years in Russia for an espionage conviction the U.S. has described as a facility.
Whelan’s brother, David, said she didn’t have enough information to know if Griner’s plea would be good or bad news for her and her brother.
“The conviction rate is so high in Russia, and so certain, that it could see the guilty plea as an attempt to move the process forward,” David Whelan said, noting that the Russian government will not discuss “any release of Ms. Griner until convicted, convicted and potentially appeals or seeks pardon. “
His request probably means that Washington and Moscow “will be able to seek a resolution faster than they could have had before. But it does not change the underlying calculation that the United States needs to find a concession that Russia will accept to return one or both Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. “, added.
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, tweeted, “Brittney Griner was a model of courage today” who “deserves our compassion, understanding, love and support.” Colas thanked Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for “confirming their commitment to bring BG and all Americans home and hope that out of respect for the sanctity of the sport internationally, BG can return home as soon as possible. as soon as possible “.
The WNBA players’ union said in a statement that it was on Griner’s side, noting the 99% conviction rate in Russian courts.
“You can’t navigate it or even understand it as our own legal system,” said Terri Jackson, executive director of WNBAPA. “What we do know is that the U.S. State Department determined that Brittney Griner was unjustly detained for a reason and we will leave it that way.”
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said Griner “has the wholehearted and unconditional support of the entire WNBA and NBA family, who are looking forward to his safe return, and the league will recognize BG as an honorary starter at this weekend’s WNBA All-Star Game. “
Russia has shown no signs of backing down.
“This is a serious crime, confirmed by indisputable evidence. … Attempts to present the case as if the American were being illegally detained are unstoppable, “Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexei Zaitsev said on Wednesday.
“The law has been violated and arguments about the innocent nature of Griner’s addiction, which, incidentally, is punishable in some U.S. states, are inappropriate in this case,” he said.
___
AP basketball writer Doug Feinberg in New York and Ellen Knickmeyer and Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed.