Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian officials claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage. A Russian judge has ordered Griner, the Phoenix Mercury center who played in Russia during the WNBA offseason, to remain in custody. “I would like to plead guilty to the charges against me, but I did not intend to break any Russian law,” she told the court. “I was in a hurry to pack and the cartridges accidentally ended up in my bags.” U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner is escorted before a court in Khimki, outside Moscow, Russia, July 7, 2022. EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA / REUTERS Griner’s Russian legal team said the guilty plea was “her decision informed after discussion with her legal defense team.” “Brittney exemplifies bravery,” the attorneys said in a statement. “She has decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows she is a role model for many people.” “Considering the nature of her case, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG’s personality and history of positive contributions to world and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as mitigating and there will be no serious penalty” , the lawyers added. Another witness was questioned at Thursday’s hearing before Griner pleaded guilty. The WNBA player is expected to testify later and asked for time to prepare for it. The meeting was adjourned until July 14. If convicted of the drug-trafficking charges, Griner faces up to 10 years in a Russian prison. Griner’s plea could bring a verdict in her case closer, which would then allow her defense team and US officials to begin proceedings to secure her release. Russian media had speculated that Griner could be part of a prisoner swap similar to the one the US and Russia arranged in the spring, swapping former Marine Trevor Reed for pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was jailed years ago on smuggling charges drugs. A senior Russian diplomat noted earlier Thursday that Moscow would be ready to negotiate Griner’s fate, but only after the court delivers its verdict. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov also criticized US efforts to “hype” Griner’s case after the US government described her as “wrongfully detained” and assigned a “hostage envoy” to handle her case. “We have an established form of discussion of these issues, and the efforts of the American side to cause fuss and noise in the public sphere are clear to us, they do not help the practical solution of the issue,” Ryabkov said. according to TASS news agency. In a handwritten letter from Griner delivered to the White House on Monday, the WNBA player wrote how terrified she is that she could be imprisoned in Russia “forever.” President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Griner’s wife, Sherrell, on Wednesday. The White House said it sought to “reassure her that it is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other American citizens who are being illegally held or held hostage in Russia and around the world.”
