Russian state media reported Thursday that the detention of basketball star Brittney Griner will last until at least May 19, which would lead her to spend at least almost three months in detention while her case is resolved.
The case of Griner, 31, one of the most recognized players in women's basketball, occurs at a time of great tension between Washington and Moscow over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Griner was detained at a Moscow airport in mid-February after Russian authorities accused her of trying to enter the country with vape cartridges containing cannabis-derived oil,
which could carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. .
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"The court granted the prosecution's request and extended the period of detention of the American citizen Griner until May 19," the court ruled, according to the state news agency Tass.
American Brittney Griner during the women's basketball match against Nigeria at the Olympic Games, on July 27, 2021, in Saitama. Eric Gay / AP
'The US embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press news agency.
The State Department assured that it is doing everything possible to obtain the release of the American athlete.
Ekaterina Kalugina, a member of the Public Monitoring Commission, a state-backed Russian panel to monitor prisoner conditions, told Tass that Griner shares a cell with two other women charged with narcotics offences.
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“The only difficulty has been the height of the basketball
player,” Tass quoted Kalugina, about Griner, who is 2.05 meters tall.
"Cell beds are clearly made for people of smaller stature."
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Griner has won two Olympic gold medals with the United States, a WNBA title with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship with Baylor University.
She has been elected to the WNBA All-Star Game seven times, the next season of which starts on May 6.
She is one of 12 WNBA basketball players who played in Russia and Ukraine last season
.
Except for Griner, the rest left before Russia invaded Ukraine.
Griner has played in Russia for the past seven years during the winter and has earned more than $1 million per season, more than four times his WNBA pay.