The jailed American basketball star Brittney Griner has returned to a Russian court to face her trial on drug charges after a senior Russian diplomat said US criticism of Russia’s handling of the case would not help her release prospects.
Griner’s trial began last week amid a growing chorus of calls for Washington to do more to secure her freedom nearly five months after her arrest.
The athlete was detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport after vape canisters with cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage.
She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of large-scale transportation of drugs. The Russian deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said on Thursday that “attempts by the American side to make noise in public … don’t help the practical settlement of issues”.