Jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner returned to a Russian court Thursday to face her trial on drug charges.
Griner’s trial began last week amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her release nearly five months after her arrest.
Griner was detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport after vape canisters with cannabis oil allegedly were found in her luggage. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs. However, Washington hasn’t made public its strategy in the case and the U.S. may have little leverage with Moscow because of strong animosity due to Russia’s military actions in Ukraine. The White House said President Joe Biden called Griner’s wife on Wednesday to assure her that he’s doing all he can to obtain the athlete’s release, as soon as possible. They spoke after Biden read a letter from Griner in which she said she feared she’d never return home.
Russian news media have repeatedly speculated that Griner could be swapped for Russian arms trader Viktor Bout, nicknamed “the Merchant of Death,” who is serving a 25-year sentence in the U.S. on conviction of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens and providing aid to a terrorist organization.
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