Brittney Griner detention: WNBA superstar heads to ‘sham trial,’ Russian court system under microscope

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Two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA star Brittney Griner will appear in court Friday, more than four months after she was arrested in Russia for allegedly bringing vape cartridges containing oils derived from cannabis through a Moscow airport.

U.S. officials fear the American basketball icon will be the subject of a "sham trial." 

WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner leaves a courtroom after a hearing in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Griner appeared in court Monday for the second time since her detention began in February, and her trial date was announced for later this week. 

Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, issued a statement the following day condemning her "wrongful" detention and accusing Russian officials of creating the image of a fair trial.

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"Brittney Griner has been wrongfully detained for four months, and Russia is now engaging in theater by subjecting her to a sham trial in an effort to create a false pretense that she is anything other than a political prisoner," Allred said in a press release. 

Griner could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

According to a report from the State Department — "Russia 2021 Human Rights Report"  —judges can be subject to the influence of "the executive branch, the armed forces and other security forces"  in "high-profile or politically sensitive cases."

That same report also found that the outcomes of some trials "appeared predetermined" and that, in 2020, only 0.34% of defendants were acquitted.