Brittney Griner: Russian court docket schedules begin of trial for Friday, her lawyer says

Griner — who has been held in Russia since her arrest at a Moscow airport on allegations of tried drug smuggling — attended the preliminary listening to in individual Monday, arriving at court docket handcuffed and flanked by guards in black vests, in accordance with a photograph by AFP photographer Kirill Kudryavstev.

Griner’s detention, which has been repeatedly prolonged, has sparked a wave of assist amongst dozens of organizations within the US which have joined Cherelle Griner, Brittney Griner’s spouse, in urging President Joe Biden to strike an alternate take care of Russian authorities to launch Griner and convey her residence safely as quickly as attainable.

Greater than 40 organizations — together with the Nationwide Affiliation for the Development of Coloured Folks, Human Rights Marketing campaign, GLAAD, the Nationwide City League and the Ladies’s Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation — signed a letter to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris calling for motion to get Griner launched.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke to Cherelle Griner one-on-one final Wednesday, in accordance with a senior State Division official. And US nationwide safety adviser Jake Sullivan informed reporters aboard Air Drive One on Tuesday he and Blinken spoke with Cherelle “in the previous couple of days … to convey that we simply cannot even start to think about what the household have to be going by way of” and what “Brittney have to be going by way of.”

Cherelle Griner mentioned final week she hasn’t talked to her spouse since February 17.

“That features Paul Whelan, that features Brittney Griner, that features individuals in plenty of different nations,” he added. Whelan is a US citizen who was detained in Moscow in 2018 and arrested on espionage expenses. He has denied the costs.

“I am unable to remark in any element on what we’re doing, besides to say that is an absolute precedence,” Blinken mentioned.

“The negotiation for her quick launch whatever the authorized proceedings ought to stay a high precedence,” Lindsay Kagawa Colas wrote, “and we anticipate @POTUS and @VP to do the whole lot of their energy, proper now, to get a deal completed to convey her residence.”

The US Embassy in Moscow will ship a US diplomat to Brittney Griner’s listening to on Friday, a US official informed CNN.

A State Division spokesperson reiterated that the Griner is “wrongfully detained,” and mentioned that assist for her and her household will proceed. “The US authorities will proceed to supply acceptable assist to Ms. Griner and her household. We are going to proceed to ​press for her launch.”

Griner was named an honorary WNBA All-Star Recreation starter final week, with the All-Star Recreation scheduled to happen on July 10 in Chicago.

Griner’s detention overseas remains to be “powerful on our group,” Phoenix Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard informed reporters earlier than the group’s recreation Monday in opposition to the Indiana Fever.

She expressed hope Griner will return residence quickly and that President Joe Biden will “take the steps to make sure that she comes residence.”