WNBA’s Brittney Griner’s Russian Detainment Extended By 6 Months, Athlete Escorted To Court In Handcuffs [Photo]

Brittney Griner

WNBA’s Brittney Griner’s Russian Detainment Extended By 6 Months, Athlete Escorted To Court In Handcuffs [Photo]

New updates on Brittney Griner have been released nearly five months after the basketball star was arrested and detained in Russia.

According to reports, WNBA star Brittney Griner appeared in court for a preliminary hearing in Russia on Monday (June 27) for her drug case. A Moscow court has determined the start date for her trial for Friday (July 1) and gave Brittney Griner a pre-trial detention extension for the fourth time by six more months.

Brittney Griner

Griner, 31, made the court appearance wearing a grey t-shirt and sweats surrounded by multiple security guards with shackles on her wrists. While appearing in good condition, photos from the court show the Phoenix Mercury player with her eyes wide open and cuffed to an officer who was leading her to her court appearance.

American basketball star #BrittneyGriner arrives to a Russian court outside Moscow. Today’s “preliminary hearing” should set the schedule for a trial on drug charges. The US considers Griner “wrongfully detained” and has assigned her case to its envoy for hostage affairs. pic.twitter.com/8yY9i09gsN

— Charles Maynes (@cwmiii3) June 27, 2022

Click here to see the images.

As previously reported, on February 17 Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport after officials in Russia said they found vape cartridges with hashish oil in her luggage.

Brittney Griner

The 2-time Olympic gold medalist is under criminal investigation for the large-scale transportation of drugs for alleged cannabis possession, which can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in Russia if convicted.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, 29, shared a video online on their anniversary last week on June 18. The pair met in college at Baylor University in Texas but began dating years after they met. Griner proposed to Cherelle Griner in August 2018 and the duo married in June of 2019.

What are your thoughts on Brittney Griner’s detainment in Russia? Let us know in the comments below.  

[Sources: 1, 2, 3]