WNBA star Brittney Griner appears in Russian court on Monday

Moscow (AP) — More than four months after she was arrested at Moscow Airport for possession of cannabis, American basketball star Brittney Griner went to court on Monday for a preliminary hearing prior to her trial. I am supposed to appear in court.

Phoenix Mercury Star, considered by some polls to be the most talented female athlete in the United States, could face 10 years in prison if convicted of a large-scale drug transport. There is sex. Less than 1% of Russian criminal defendants have been acquitted, and unlike the United States, acquittals can be overturned.

The hearing date has not been announced, but it is due soon. Greener was recently ordered to continue pretrial detention until July 2. A hearing in a court in Khimki on the outskirts of Moscow is to address procedural issues.

Greener’s detention and trials are taking place at a very low point in the relationship between Moscow and Washington. She was arrested at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow less than a week after Russia sent troops to Ukraine.

In tension, Greener’s supporters were unobtrusive in hopes of a quiet solution. In May, the State Department reclassified her as illegally detained and transferred oversight of her case to a special presidential envoy for hostage issues. Negotiator.

The move drew more attention to Grinner’s case and exchanged prisoners like April when Marine veteran Trevor Reed was taken home in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of a drug trafficking plot. Was encouraged by supporters.

Russian news media exchanged with Victor Bowt, a Russian weapons merchant called the “merchant of death” who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for plotting to kill U.S. citizens and is helping terrorists. An organization that has repeatedly raised speculation that it could be.

Russia has instigated the release of Bout for many years.However, the contradiction between the Greener case (she allegedly possessed an arc cartridge containing cannabis oil) and the global trade in Bout’s deadly weapons made such an exchange for the United States. May be unpalatable

Others have suggested that she may be traded with Paul Wheelan.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken asked at CNN on Sunday if a joint exchange between Greener and Welan for a match was being considered and avoided the question.

“As a general suggestion … it’s no higher priority than ensuring that Americans who are somehow illegally detained around the world return home,” he said. About what we are doing, except that this is an absolute priority. “

Kremlin-funded international civil lawyer Maria Jarmush said that in any exchange, Greener was apparently first convicted and sentenced, and then applied for a presidential amnesty. I told the TV channel RT.