American basketball player Brittney Griner said Wednesday in Moscow, where she is being tried in court, that she mistakenly smuggled medical cannabis into Russia and that she never intended to smuggle the drug.
“I had no idea or foresight that I would be bringing banned substances into Russia,” Griner said in the Khimki court building in Moscow, where she has been on trial since early July.
Grinner, 31, 2.06 meters tall, is considered one of the best players in the world and plays for Yekaterinburg during the North American League off-season.
She appeared in court after being arrested in February at a Moscow airport for possession of cannabis-based e-cigarettes allegedly prescribed by a doctor. Under Russian law, he faces 10 years in prison.
This process comes at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington, centered on the military conflict in Ukraine. According to analysts, Russia could use this case for a future exchange of prisoners with the United States.
The player, who is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, told the court that she uses medical cannabis legally in the United States on prescription over the weekend to ease the multiple physical pain associated with intense basketball practice.
She repeated that she did not do it on purpose to take cannabis with her to Russia.
“I still don’t understand how it ended up in my bag. I had no intention of violating Russian law. […] and if I had to come up with an explanation for how it ended up in my bag, I’d say it was because I was in a hurry to pack my things,” Grinner said.
Britney Griner said that she had not yet complied with the recommendations of the US authorities not to travel to Russia during this period, because she “did not want to leave” her team in this country.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
