Brittney Griner Detention In Russia Extended
Brittney Griner, the American basketball star detained in Moscow on allegations of drug smuggling, will remain in custody for at least two more months, Russian media reported Thursday.
“The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the US citizen Griner until May 19,” a Russian court spokesperson told the Kremlin-controlled press agency TASS.
The outlet Mash also reported the news, sharing a video on Telegram showing Griner, 31, walking down a hallway with two guards.
A person close to the matter told BuzzFeed News Griner was OK and has been meeting regularly with her Russian legal team while in detention. The investigation is still ongoing, and a trial date has not been set, the person said.
If the investigation isn’t complete by May, whether she will continue to be detained pending trial will be reassessed then.
A State Department spokesperson told BuzzFeed News, “We are closely engaged on this case and in frequent contact with Brittney Griner’s legal team.”
The arrest of the WNBA star and two-time Olympic Gold medalist was first reported on March 5, but Rep. Colin Allred of Texas, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has said she was arrested on Feb. 17.
She was detained after customs allegedly found cartridges of hashish oil in her luggage at an airport outside Moscow. She could face up to 10 years in prison.
Griner is a member of the Phoenix Mercury but had been playing in the off-season for Russia’s