“The examination does not comply with the law in terms of the completeness of the study and does not comply with the rules of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” coroner Dmitry Gladyshev testified for the defense during the roughly two-hour hearing. The defense also questioned special prosecutor Alexander Korablyov, who examined Griner’s cartridges removed from her luggage. Griner’s appearance in court in the city of Khimki marked her seventh hearing as Russian prosecutors accuse her of trying to smuggle less than 1 gram of cannabis oil in her luggage. She has pleaded guilty to drug charges — a decision her lawyers hope will result in a less severe sentence — even though the US State Department maintains she is being wrongfully detained and faces up to 10 years in prison. Supporters of the two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury center who is playing in Russia during the WNBA offseason have called for her release amid fears she will be used as a political pawn amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. US officials are facing enormous pressure from Griner’s family, lawmakers and the professional basketball community to bring her home, and Griner has written to President Joe Biden pleading with him to do everything in his power to facilitate her release . The 31-year-old sat in the defendant’s cage in the courtroom on Tuesday. The charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, Elizabeth Rudd, attended Tuesday’s hearing and said afterward that the U.S. “will continue to support Ms. Griner through every step of this process and for as long as it takes to bring her home to the United States States with security”. Griner’s next hearing is set for Thursday. At trial, Griner testified that she has a prescription for medical cannabis and had no intention of bringing the drug into Russia. After her arrest in February, she underwent a drug test and came back clean, her lawyers previously said. Amid public pressure and after months of internal debate, the Biden administration has proposed a prisoner swap with Russia, offering to release a convicted Russian arms dealer in exchange for Griner and another American prisoner, Paul Whelan, people told CNN.Russian officials briefed on the matter countered the U.S. offer, multiple sources familiar with the discussions said, asking that in addition to arms dealer Viktor Bout, the U.S. also include a convicted murderer who was a former Russian spy agency colonel, Vadim Krasikov. U.S. officials did not accept the request as a legitimate counteroffer, the sources told CNN, in part because the proposal was sent through an unofficial backchannel. Krasikov’s release would also be complicated because he is in German custody. “It’s a bad-faith attempt to avoid a very serious offer and proposal that the United States has made, and we urge Russia to take that offer seriously,” Defense Department spokesman John Kirby told CNN, adding later: “We very much want let’s see Brittney and Paul go back to their families where they belong.” Meanwhile, Griner’s trial continues, with her legal team expected to continue questioning more witnesses before proceeding to closing arguments, in which lawyers will explain why they believe Griner’s detention was mishandled. Final discussions are expected in the coming weeks.
Lawyers speak of “improper” detention
Griner’s lawyers have already presented some arguments claiming that the basketball player’s detention was mishandled after she was suspended on February 17 by staff at Sheremetyevo International Airport. Her detention, search and arrest were “inappropriate,” Alexander Boykov, one of her lawyers, said last week, noting that more details would be revealed during the final hearing. After being stopped at the airport, Griner was forced to sign documents she did not fully understand, she testified. At first, she said, she used Google Translate on her phone, but was later taken to another room where they took her phone and made her sign more documents. No attorney was present, she testified, and her rights were not explained to her. These rights would include access to a lawyer once detained and the right to know what she was suspected of. Under Russian law, she should have been informed of her rights within three hours of her arrest. In her testimony, Griner “explained to the court that she knows and respects Russian laws and never intended to violate them,” Blagovolina — a partner at Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin & Partners — said after last week’s hearing. The arrested player testified that she was aware of Russian laws and had no intention of bringing the cannabis oil into the country, noting that she was in a hurry and “stressed.” Griner confirmed she has a prescription for medical cannabis, Blagovolina said, which she uses to treat knee pain and joint inflammation. “We continue to insist that she indiscriminately, hastily, packed her suitcase and did not pay attention to the fact that substances permitted for use in the United States ended up in that suitcase and reached the Russian Federation,” Boykov said. of the Moscow Legal Center, he said. Griner’s family, supporters and her WNBA teammates continue to express messages of solidarity and hope as they await the conclusion of the trial and look forward to the possibility of her release from prison. Before the trial last week, the WNBA players’ association tweeted: “Dear BG… It’s early in Moscow. Our day is ending and yours is just beginning. Not a day, not an hour goes by without you are on our minds & in our hearts.” This story has been updated with additional developments on Tuesday. Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Brittney Griner’s first name. CNN’s Travis Caldwell, Dakin Andone, Kylie Atwood, Evan Perez, Jennifer Hansler, Natasha Bertrand, Frederik Pleitgen, Chris Liakos and Zahra Ullah contributed to this report.
