US basketball star Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in Russian court
The 31-year-old was arrested in February at a Moscow airport after Russian officials say they found cannabis oil in her luggage.
Two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court near Moscow, her lawyers confirmed to CNN on Thursday.
Griner, whom the US State Department has classified as wrongfully detained, faces up to 10 years in prison under the charge.
The 31-year-old was arrested in February at a Moscow airport after Russian officials say they found cannabis oil in her luggage. The basketball star, who plays in Russia during the WNBA's offseason, has been held since then on drug smuggling charges punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Her trial began last week.
Supporters of the Phoenix Mercury player have called for her release over fears she is being used as a political pawn amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Griner told the court Thursday she had not intended to commit a crime, state news agency RIA Novosti reported. Speaking through an interpreter, Griner said she had not meant to carry drugs in her luggage, and it was the result of her packing in a hurry, the report said.
Griner left the courtroom without giving any comment to reporters, and her next hearing is set for July 14.
The decision to plead guilty was made by Griner alone, a source close to her said. But in recent weeks, Griner, her family, lawyers and experts discussed this decision extensively. Given the 99% reported conviction rate in Russian criminal cases, Griner was urged to weigh all the factors, including a plea that could ultimately result in a shorter sentence.
Some have speculated Griner could be released and returned to the US in a prisoner swap, as was Trevor Reed, an American veteran who was detained in Russia for three years before being released in April.
There is no indication such a swap is imminent in Griner's case.
But before any potential prisoner swap, it was expected Griner would have to be convicted and also admit fault, a senior US official told CNN. Reed had to sign a document saying he was guilty -- something he had resisted for almost the entirety of his detention -- just days before he was let out, the official said.
"It is part of the show and the document has no legal force or effect in the US. It is effectively meaningless," said Reed family spokesperson Jonathan Franks.
Griner's plea came on the second day of her trial, at which a prosecutor accused her of smuggling less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage. According to TASS, another state news agency. Prosecutors argue Griner intended to import the drugs into Russia's territory and put the prohibited substances into a backpack and a suitcase.
On Wednesday, the White House announced President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had spoken by phone with Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner.
Cherelle Griner was "grateful" for the call from Biden and Harris, she said in a statement Wednesday.
"While I will remain concerned and outspoken until she is back home, I am hopeful in knowing that the President read my wife's letter and took the time to respond," she said. "I know BG will be able to find comfort in knowing she has not been forgotten."
