Griner Russia verdict expected 'soon', lawyers say
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The trial of American basketball star Brittney Greenner in Russia will end "very soon", her lawyer said on Tuesday, as the Kremlin warned the US that megaphone diplomacy could not guarantee a prisoner exchange. That's a good thing for the 31-year-old Texan.
Greener, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star, was detained on February 17 at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport with a cartridge containing cannabis oil in her luggage.
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She pleaded guilty to drug possession charges but denied any intention to violate Russian law. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
A verdict in the case is expected “very soon,” said lawyer Maria Blagovolina, a partner at the law firm Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Partners. Defense and prosecution will present closing arguments on Thursday.
The case against Greener highlights tensions between Russia and the United States over Moscow's actions in Ukraine.
Blagovolina said Greener heard that Washington made what U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called a “substantial offer” to Moscow to release U.S. citizens detained in Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed surprise at the public nature of Blinken's comments at the time, saying Tuesday that any discussion of a possible swap needed to be cautious.
“We still believe that any exchange of information on this matter should be done with caution,” Peskov told reporters on a conference call.
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