American basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges on Thursday in a Russian court and could be facing up to 10 years in prison.
Griner was arrested in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport on February 17 for allegedly carrying vape cartridges that contained hashish oil—illegal in Russia despite being decriminalized in the U.S.—in her luggage.
After nearly five months of incarceration in Russia, Griner’s trial officially began last week. On Thursday, the WNBA star pleaded guilty. According to a Reuters reporter inside the courtroom, Griner told the court in English: “I’d like to plead guilty, your honor. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law.
“I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare,” she added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken tweeted after the hearing that U.S. embassy officials spoke to Griner and delivered a letter from Biden as they attended her trial. “We will not relent until Brittney, Paul Whelan, and all other wrongfully detained Americans are reunited with their loved ones,” he said.
