Brittney Griner’s legal professional presents doctor’s letter in court docket, states she experienced permission to use hashish
Brittney Griner’s attorney presented new evidence on the fourth day of her trial in Russia, the place the WNBA star has been detained for approximately 5 months.
The lawyer experienced a letter from an American medical doctor providing Griner permission to use hashish to cut down persistent ache.
Griner was anticipated to testify but her testimony was delayed till July 26 at the ask for of her lawful crew so she can have extra time to put together.
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was viewing Russia to play basketball in the off-time when she was detained at Sheremetyevo Intercontinental Airport following staying accused of acquiring vape cartridges made up of cannabis oil, which is unlawful in the place.
If convicted, Griner, 31, faces up to 10 decades in jail and also has a appropriate to an enchantment.
Griner pleaded responsible on drug prices in courtroom last 7 days, saying that the vape cartridges containing hashish oil were being in her luggage mistakenly.
Griner, who has been detained in Russia because Feb. 17, claimed she had no “intention” of breaking Russian law and did not necessarily mean to depart the cartridges in her bag.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner holds up a photograph of players from the new all star activity carrying her range, sitting in a cage at a court home prior to a hearing in the Khimki district court docket, just exterior Moscow, Russia, July 15, 2022.
Dmitry Serebryakov/AP
Her lawful crew informed ABC Information in a assertion previous week that her “guilty” plea was recommended by her Russian attorneys.
“Brittney sets an example of becoming courageous. She determined to choose complete duty for her actions as she is aware of that she is a function product for a lot of people today,” they explained in the statement. “Looking at the nature of her situation, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG’s character and record of optimistic contributions to world wide and Russian sport, the protection hopes that the plea will be deemed by the court docket as a mitigating issue and there will be no serious sentence.”
Her trial, which is getting area in Khimki, a suburb of Moscow, started on July 1 as the U.S. govt will work to safe her release.
At the trial on Thursday, numerous Russian people today testified as character witnesses about their experience with the Phoenix Mercury player, who also performed in the WNBA offseason for UMMC, a Russian basketball club in the metropolis of Yekaterinburg.
The 1st witness was Maxim Ryabkov, the director of UMMC. The second witness was crew medical professional Anatoly Galabin, who said that Griner never analyzed beneficial for doping while participating in for the team. A third witness, Evgenia Belyakova, one of Griner’s Russian teammates, explained that Griner was the chief of the staff.
The U.S. federal government classified Griner’s circumstance on Might 3 as “wrongfully detained.”
U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner is escorted in advance of a court listening to in Khimki, Russia July 7, 2022.
Evgenia Novozhenina/Reuters
White Household press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre instructed reporters previous week that Griner’s responsible plea will have “no impression” on any of the negotiations to deliver her house.
Phone calls to absolutely free Griner escalated next the release of U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed final month, who was freed from a Russian jail as aspect of a prisoner trade. Previous Marine Paul Whelan has also been detained in Russia due to the fact 2019.
“We are likely to do everything that we can to bring property Brittney Griner properly, and to also make confident that we convey Paul Whelan again house, as effectively,” Jean-Pierre stated.
ABC News’ Joseph Simonetti, Tanya Stukalova, Patrick Reevell and Henderson Hewes contributed to this report.
