Brittney Griner, the US basketball legend has pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court but has denied breaking the law deliberately.
The discovery of cannabis oil vape cartridges in the Olympic Gold medalist’s luggage led to her detention at an airport near Moscow in February.
“I was in a rush packing and the cartridges accidentally ended up in my bag,” she stated at the court in Khimki.
Her trial began last week on charges that could mean 10 years in jail.
Her wife, Cherelle, earlier pleaded to President Joe Biden to do “whatever is necessary” to get her released. She was informed by the President that he was working on the issue to get her released as soon as possible.
Griner had already sent the President a letter detailing her fear saying that she was “terrified (she) might be here forever.”
The Russian government officials have cautioned the US to not “make noise in the public about the case.”
“I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent”
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that “the hype and working on the case, with all the love for this genre among modern politicians, currently only disturbs” the court process.
“I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” the gold medalist told the court in English. She stated that she needed more time to prepare and would prefer to deliver her testimony later. After that, the trial was adjourned for a week.
Griner is one of the most successful players in the women’s professional league in the US, with WNBA team Phoenix Mercury. She had gone to Russia in the off-season to play club basketball.
Her high-profile arrest at the Sheremetyevo airport outside of Moscow happened a week before Russia invaded Ukraine.