Brittney Griner gets support from character witnesses as trial resumes

Brittney Griner’s drug possession trial resumed Thursday with the head of the Russian club she plays for in the offseason and a teammate from that squad testifying in support of her character and what the WNBA star has meant for women’s basketball in the country.

Griner, who pleaded guilty last week, did not testify as expected at the third day of the trial. She has been detained in Russia since February, and the US government is under pressure at home to do more to secure her freedom. Her guilty plea could be an effort to expedite the court proceedings so any negotiations about a prisoner exchange could move forward.

Griner was arrested at the Russian capital’s Sheremetyevo Airport when customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage. She acknowledged in court that she possessed the canisters, but said she had no criminal intent and said their presence in her luggage was due to hasty packing. She is facing up to 10 years in prison.

In Russia’s judicial system, admitting guilt doesn’t automatically end a trial.

Most journalists were denied access to Thursday’s session, but the director of UMMC Ekaterinburg, for which she plays during the WNBA offseason, told reporters afterward that he testified as a character witness.

“Our task today was to tell the court about her characteristics as an athlete, as a person – tell about how she played a big role in the success of the Ekaterinburg club and Russian women’s basketball as a whole,” club director Maxim Rybakov.

“Today is the first day when we have seen our basketball player since February. Thank God, she feels well, looks good,” Rybakov said outside the courthouse in the Moscow suburb of Khimki, where the airport is located.

Player Evgenia