Griner’s trial began last week amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest. The athlete was arrested in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after vapor containers of cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale drug trafficking. According to Russian state news agency Tass, Griner’s translator told the court that she pleaded guilty to the charges but said she acted involuntarily because she packed in a hurry. A statement released by Griner’s legal team in Russia said the guilty plea was “her decision”, adding: “Given the nature of her case, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG’s personality and history of positive contributions in world and Russian sports, The defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as a mitigation and there will be no severe punishment. The next hearing in the serious case is scheduled for July 14. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Thursday that “the US side’s efforts to make noise in public … do not help in the practical settlement of the issues.” The White House said Joe Biden called Griner’s wife on Wednesday to assure her he was doing everything he could to secure the athlete’s release as soon as possible. They spoke after Biden read a letter from Griner in which she said she feared she would never come home. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Washington has not made public its strategy in the case, and the US may have little leverage with Moscow because of heightened hostility over Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The State Department designated Griner as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, effectively the government’s chief hostage negotiator. Asked about the possibility of exchanging Griner for a Russian jailed in the US, Ryabkov said that until her trial is over “there are no official or procedural reasons to talk about further steps.” He said the US criticism, including describing Griner as unjustly imprisoned and dismissive comments about the Russian justice system, “makes it difficult to engage in detailed discussion of any potential exchanges”. The trial of the Phoenix Mercury star and two-time Olympic gold medalist was adjourned after it began last week after two scheduled witnesses failed to appear. Such delays are routine in Russian courts, and Griner’s detention has been approved until December 20, suggesting the process could take months. It was unclear whether Griner would testify Thursday. Although Griner’s supporters initially kept a low profile, calls for US action grew after the first day of the trial. The Reverend Al Sharpton, one of the US’s most prominent black activists, this week called on Biden to arrange a prayer meeting with Griner, saying: “Four months is too long for this to go on and I hope the president will act on her. please come home.” An organization called Win With Black Women sent a letter to Biden saying Secretary of State Antony Blinken “called Cherelle Griner, Brittney’s wife, 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 to be aligned with the actions that have been taken to date. We urge you to make an arrangement to get Brittney home quickly.” Russian media have repeatedly speculated that Griner could be traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the merchant of death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. on charges of conspiring to kill citizens of USA and providing assistance to a terrorist organization. Russia has been fighting for Bout’s release for years, but the stark discrepancy between Griner’s alleged wrongdoing and Bout’s global dealings in lethal weapons could make such an exchange unpalatable to Washington. Booth’s wife, Alla, said Thursday that she was not aware of any new developments in her husband’s case or that he could be part of a prisoner exchange. Others have suggested that Griner could be swapped with Paul Whelan, a former Navy SEAL and security director who is serving a 16-year sentence in Russia for an espionage conviction that the US has repeatedly described as a setup. Russia has shown no signs of backing down. Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexei Zaitsev said on Wednesday: “This is a serious crime, which is confirmed by indisputable evidence … Attempts to present the case as if the American was illegally detained cannot stand. The law has been broken, and arguments about the innocent nature of Griner’s addiction, which, by the way, is punishable in some US states, are inappropriate in this case.”
