On Friday, a Russian court extended Brittney Griner’s pre-trial detention by one month, the Associated Press reports.
Alexander Boykov, Griner’s attorney, said that the short extension is an indication that her case would head to trial soon. The basketball player has been in custody for nearly three months.
The Phoenix Mercury star attended the hearing at a court outside Moscow handcuffed and held her face down while wearing an orange hoodie. Boykov said that she did not express “any complaints about the detention conditions.”
Last week, the State Department classified Griner as “wrongfully detained,” a change that suggests the U.S. government will “be more active in trying to secure her release even while the legal case plays out.”
Ned Price, a spokesperson for the State Department said diplomats from the U.S. Embassy in Moscow spoke with Griner on Friday and reported she “is doing as well as can be expected in these circumstances.”Also, Griner’s case has been described by Russian authorities as a criminal offense.
As EBONY previously reported, Griner, an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, plays in Russia during the WNBA’s off-season and was arrested in February while in Russia for reportedly having hash oil, a narcotic substance.
If found guilty, Griner could be sentenced to as many as 10 years in a Russian jail.
