KHIMKI, Russia (AP) – U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner testified Wednesday at her drug trial in Russia that a language interpreter translated only part of what was said during her interrogation and the officials ordered him to sign documents without giving him any explanation.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February. He admitted in court earlier this month that he had vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in his luggage when he arrived in Russia, but claims he had no criminal intent and packed the cartridges inadvertently.
During his testimony, the Phoenix Mercury standout 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 ended up in her bag, but explained that it had a doctor’s recommendation and was packed in a hurry.
She recalled being turned away at the airport on February 17 after inspectors found the cartridges.
Along with the interpreter who provided an incomplete translation, Griner said she was given neither an explanation of her rights nor access to a lawyer and was asked to sign documents without an explanation of what they entailed.
After hours of procedures she did not understand, she was allowed to hand over her personal belongings to a lawyer before being led away in handcuffs, Griner said. He said he received only a cursory translation of the allegations during a February 19 hearing where a court sanctioned his detention.
Griner faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of drug trafficking. His trial began on July 1 and Wednesday was his first appearance as a witness. The court outside Moscow held five preliminary hearings that were brief, 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. She went to Russia to play with a Russian team during the WNBA offseason.
During Tuesday’s roughly 90-minute court session, a Russian neuropsychologist testified about the worldwide use of medical 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 teammates and supporters in the United States, who have formally declared her “detained by mistake,” a designation Russian officials have vehemently rejected.
Griner was arrested in February amid high tensions between the United States and Moscow before Russia sent troops to Ukraine later this month. Some supporters claim she is being held in Russia as a pawn, possibly for a prisoner exchange. American soccer standout 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.