The Russian government has issued an update regarding American basketball player Brittney Griner who was arrested earlier this year on drug smuggling-related charges.
Moscow has stated that Griner has the right to make an appeal or request clemency.
Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Aleksei Zaitsev, a ministry spokesperson stated that no one is stopping the 31-year-old from filing an appeal.
“The court must first deliver its verdict, but no one is stopping Brittney Griner from making use of the appeal procedure and also from requesting clemency,” Zaitsev stated.
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He added that there is enough evidence against Griner and people should not view the case as Russia’s way of discriminating against American citizens.
“Griner’s serious offence has been supported by indisputable evidence. Attempts to present her case as though the American woman was illegally detained do not stand up to criticism” Zaitsev told reporters.
The Phoenix Mercury player was detained after being accused of carrying hashish oil in her travelers’ bag at a Russian airport. She had traveled to Russia to play for UMMC Yekaterinburg, a professional women’s basketball team. Hashish oil is a cannabis product that has a high concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Griner’s lawyer Aleksandr Boikov had disclosed that his client would remain in custody until the end of the trial which he expects to take some months.
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The US government does not believe the accusations made against Griner by their Russian counterpart to be true.
They view the case as a move intended to put pressure on them over their stance concerning the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Washington has classified Griner as “wrongfully detained”.
The two-time Olympic champion wrote a handwritten letter a few days ago to US President Joe Biden, pleading with him to remember her and other Americans who are currently detained in Russia.
Griner is one of the most decorated American female basketball players. She is among the eleven US women basketball players who have won a NCAA championship, an Olympic gold medal, a WNBA championship, and a FIBA World Cup gold medal.
The US international faces a maximum of ten years in prison if she is convicted.
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