Brittney Griner returns to Russian court to argue cannabis was prescribed for pain as US seeks prisoner swap

The 31-year-old basketball star’s next hearing is scheduled for Thursday

The Russian drug trial of US basketball star Brittney Griner could be over “very soon”, the lawyer for the WNBA player said, as Washington continues to float the possibility of a prisoner swap for her release.

The 31-year-old Texan arrived in a courtroom near Moscow on Tuesday dressed in khaki and round-rimmed glasses in her seventh hearing for a case where Russian prosecutors have accused the two-time Olympic gold medallist of trying to smuggle less than a gram of cannabis oil into the country.

During the hearing, prosecutors called a state narcotics expert who analysed cannabis found in Griner’s luggage. Her defence fielded a specialist who challenged the analysis, charging that it was flawed and didn’t conform to official rules.

On 17 February, Griner was detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport after airport officials uncovered vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

The Phoenix Mercury centre had pleaded guilty to the drugs charges against her, but had denied during earlier hearings that her actions were intentional, highlighting how the cannabis had been provided through a doctor’s prescription to treat pain and she had never intended to break Russian law.

One of Griner’s Russian lawyers, Maria Blagovolina, said that she expects the verdict in the case to be returned “very soon”, as the defence and prosecution are expected to provide closing arguments in the weeks-long trial on Thursday, according to Reuters.

Ms Blagovolina also said that her client had heard that Washington had made a “substantial offer” - as Secretary of State Anthony Blinken characterised it – to Moscow for a prisoner swap.

In the proposed exchange, it would see Russia returning Griner and Paul Whelan, a former Marine who was convicted on espionage charges in 2020 and sentenced to 16 years in prison, while the US would handover Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

“There are a lot of factors that will taken by the court into account,” Ms Blagovolina told reporters after Tuesday’s hearing, adding that Griner “admitted that she did bring something, but we need to know what she did bring.”

While judges have leeway to consider mitigating factors under Russian law, acquittals are rare and account for less than 1 per cent of cases in Russian criminal prosecutions.

If convicted, Griner could face up to 10 years in prison, though it could potentially pave the way for her exchange as Russian officials said it could only happen after the judicial process is completed.

Court was adjourned until Thursday, when Griner’s next hearing is scheduled.