A Russian basketball membership director gave proof in assist of U.S. star Brittney Griner on Thursday in Griner’s third look in a Russian courtroom on medicine fees carrying a attainable jail sentence of as much as 10 years.
Protection lawyer Maria Blagovolina mentioned UMMC Yekaterinburg membership boss Maxim Ryabkov had testified to Griner’s good character through the listening to, which was closed to reporters.
She mentioned Ryabkov instructed the courtroom of Griner’s “excellent talents as a participant and private contribution to strengthening crew spirit.”
Workforce captain Yevgenia Belyakova additionally testified in Griner’s protection on the courtroom in Khimki, on the outskirts of Moscow, the place Griner had earlier arrived beneath guard and in handcuffs.
Blagovolina, of regulation agency Rybalkin, Gortsunyan, Dyakin and Companions, mentioned the protection was happy with the newest session.
“It was an especially emotional day for Brittney, who was touched by the looks of the membership director, head doctor and her teammate, who gave an especially optimistic description of our shopper each personally and professionally,” Blagovolina mentioned.
WNBA participant Griner, who has performed in Russia throughout offseasons since 2014, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on Feb. 17 after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil had been allegedly present in her baggage.
At a listening to final week the two-time Olympic gold medalist pled responsible to the medicine fees however mentioned she had not supposed to interrupt the regulation. A spokesman for Griner’s protection crew mentioned she could be again in courtroom on Friday.
Russia has denied any political aspect to the case, at a time of heightened pressure with the USA over the battle in Ukraine.
Amid options Griner could possibly be exchanged for a Russian citizen jailed in the USA, a Russian deputy international minister mentioned final week that the “hype” surrounding her case was not useful.
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