WNBA star Brittney Griner had a preliminary hearing held behind closed doors in Russia on Monday, CNN reported. The start of her criminal trial was set for July 1 and Griner was ordered to remain in custody for the duration of the trial.
A court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki also extended Griner’s detention for another six months, which makes it the fourth time her pre-trial detention was extended. Prior to Monday’s hearing, Griner was ordered to remain in custody until July 2.
Griner is under investigation for what the Russian government claims is a “large-scale transportation of drugs.”
It’s an offense that can carry a sentence of up to 10 years behind bars in Russia. According to the Associated Press, the odds are not in Griner’s favor: fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted. And even in the case a defendant is found not guilty, acquittals can be overturned in Russia, unlike in the Unites States.
The Phoenix Mercury center has been detained in Russia since Feb.17. She was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport for alleged cannabis possession. In May, the U.S. State Department reclassified her as “wrongfully detained” and transferred her case to the office of the US Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs with Roger Carstens as the negotiator in charge of her release.
For a complete look at the Griner’s situation, read our explainer here.
