WNBA star Britney Grenier appeared at a preliminary hearing in Moscow on Monday, more than three months after her arrest in Russia.
Greiner did not respond to an ABC News reporter’s question as she walked out of the courtroom. Her lawyer has not commented after the hearing. The next session is scheduled for July 1.
Grenier was arrested at Russia’s Sheremetyevo International Airport on February 17 after being accused of carrying packages containing cannabis oil, which is illegal in Russia.
The US State Department said Greiner was “unjustly detained” by Russia.
“Our position on this has been very clear for some time. Britney Grenier should not be detained. She should not be held for one more day,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said June 14.
Russia has issued several extensions of its pre-trial detention. If convicted, Greiner, 31, faces up to 10 years in prison.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Britney Greiner leaves the courtroom after a hearing, in Khimki outside Moscow, May 13, 2022.
Alexander Zemlianchenko/AFP, file
Greiner’s wife, Sheryl Greiner, told The Associated Press that she did ‘No confidence’ In the US government after its handling of his wife’s arrest.
US basketball star Britney Greiner, in handcuffs, arrives at a hearing in Khimki court outside Moscow, June 27, 2022. Grenier, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying her luggage. E-cigarette cartridges with cannabis oil, which can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison.
Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images
The Russian invasion of Ukraine began one week after Grenier’s arrest. Some officials worry that Americans imprisoned in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.
Sheryl Greiner said Robin Roberts, host of “Good Morning America” in May She would like to speak with President Joe Biden.
She said, “I still hear that, you know, he has the power. It’s a political pawn.” “So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, I want you to do it.”
Asked last week about a possible meeting between Sheryl Greiner and President Biden, Jean-Pierre said: “We don’t have anything to share about a possible phone conversation or meeting.”
ABC News’s Tanya Stokalova contributed to this report.
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