Two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star Brittney Griner is set to go to trial in Russia Friday July 1. Griner was detained Feb. 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, Russia, for having vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil, according to The Washington Post. Griner has been in custody for more than four months now.
Because cannabis is illegal in Russia, Griner could face up to ten years in prison on the drug charges.
On March 23, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price had provided an update on her condition.
“The consular officer who visited with Brittney Griner was able to verify that she is doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances,” Price said in a press conference. “We’ll continue to work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network to see to it that she is treated fairly and that her rights are respected.”
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Many experts, according to The Washington Post, speculate that Griner’s trial will most likely have a result of a prison sentence and a guilty verdict. An article from Insider states, “This case is already decided.”
“According to the Associated Press, fewer than 1 percent of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and acquittals can be overturned,” according to The Washington Post.
