American Marconi Wireless News - Russia extends drug detention of US basketball star Griner

Maswanganyi Clarifies Pirates Allegiance Amidst Career Transition
Search Underway for 'Dooars Rani' Tigress After Second Escape from Buxa Tiger Reserve
Teatro Mayor Unveils 152-Performance 2027 Season Highlighting Beethoven and García Márquez
The Dilemma of Recording Live Music: Preserving Memories vs. Being Present
Rutgers Defeats NJIT 101-64 Behind Francis and Mark Scores
TripGift Unlocks Millions of Travel and Live Event Experiences for Corporate Rewards and Incentives in 117 Currencies
Leiər Introduces Passport, a New Fragrance Collection Debuting With Alba Eau De Parfum
WhalesBot Emphasizes Child Safety and Responsible AI Design in the Development of Pubbo
SMX Bridges AI and Industrial Material Science With New Intelligence Platform
Moderna Announces JAMA Network Open Publication of Real-World Comparative Effectiveness Data for mNEXSPIKE (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA) in Adults Aged 65 Years and Older

NYSE - LSE

RBGPF	0%	75.17	$
CMSC	-0.53%	19.975	$
NGG	-0.68%	83.055	$
GSK	-2.12%	50.165	$
RIO	0.55%	85.01	$
CMSD	-0.85%	19.91	$
BCE	-0.63%	21.505	$
AZN	-1.15%	184.64	$
RELX	0.04%	39.925	$
RYCEF	-1.94%	17.56	$
VOD	0.61%	15.595	$
BP	1%	45.03	$
BCC	-0.54%	70.04	$
JRI	-0.51%	11.77	$
BTI	-0.6%	60.455	$

Russia extends drug detention of US basketball star Griner / Photo: Aris MESSINIS - AFP/File

Russia extends drug detention of US basketball star Griner

SPORTS 13.05.2022

A Russian court on Friday extended the pre-trial detention on drug charges of US basketball star Brittney Griner, state media said, as a US consular officer was able to see her.

Text size:

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medallist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying in her luggage vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence.

A court in the town of Khimki outside Moscow extended Griner's arrest until June 18, state news agency TASS reported, citing a court representative.

Griner's detention came days before Russia defied US warnings and sent troops into Ukraine, prompting Western powers to impose sweeping sanctions and send military aid to Kyiv.

Washington said last month that Russia had "wrongfully detained" the six-foot-nine (2.06-meter) basketball star, 31, and turned her case over to the US special envoy in charge of hostages.

A consular officer of the US embassy in Moscow met her Friday on the margins of the hearing, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

"The officer was able to confirm that Brittney Griner is doing as well as can be expected under what can only be described as exceedingly difficult circumstances," Price told reporters in Washington.

The WNBA has said it is working to bring Griner home and honoured her when the latest season started in May.

Griner is considered among the greatest female basketball players and is a high points scorer, partly thanks to her ability to dunk the ball.

She was playing club basketball in Russia before the resumption of the US season, a common practice for American stars seeking additional income.

Despite sky-high tensions between the US and Russia, the two countries conducted a high-profile prisoner exchange in April, in scenes reminiscent of the Cold War.

In the exchange Russia freed Trevor Reed, a former US Marine accused of drunkenly fighting with police.

Washington also says Russia has unjustly detained Paul Whelan, a former security official at a vehicle parts company who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2020.

Y.Nakamura--AMWN

Featured

Maswanganyi Clarifies Pirates Allegiance Amidst Career Transition

Rutgers Defeats NJIT 101-64 Behind Francis and Mark Scores

LiveOne (Nasdaq: LVO) to Report Second Quarter Fiscal 2027 Financial Results on November 12, 2026

LiveOne (Nasdaq: LVO) Releases Preliminary H1 Fiscal 2027 Results: $37.3 Million in Revenue and Record Audio Adjusted EBITDA* of $7.8 Million, Up 619% Year-Over-Year