The trial of American basketball star Britney Greiner in a Russian court today focused on testimony that cannabis, although illegal in Russia, is considered a legitimate medical substance in other countries.
Greiner admitted she was carrying vials of cannabis oil when she was arrested in February at a Moscow airport, but claims she had no "criminal intent" and that the vials inadvertently ended up in her luggage because she was in a hurry.
"We do not claim that Britney took it as a medicine, but she inadvertently brought it because she was in a hurry," said defense attorney Alexander Boykov after the testimony in which a Russian neuropsychologist testified about the worldwide use of medical cannabis.
"The Russian public must know, and the Russian court must first of all know that it was not used for recreational purposes in the United States. It was prescribed by a doctor," said the lawyer.
Greiner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and member of the Phoenix Mercury, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
The doctor's testimony and her admission that she had the vials are intended to get her a light sentence.
“We have many mitigating factors. So hopefully the court will take that into consideration. And the courts in Russia, in fact, have a very wide discretion regarding the punishment," said lawyer Maria Blagovolina.
The trial began on July 1, but only five sessions were held, some lasting only about an hour.
Greiner's slow trial and five-month detention drew sharp criticism in the United States, which officially declared her "improperly detained," a charge Russian officials strongly denied.
Elizabeth Rudd, chargé d'affaires of the US embassy, attended the court session on Tuesday. Greiner "confirmed that he is fine, as well as can be expected under the circumstances," she told reporters.
Britney Greiner was arrested in February amid heightened tensions between the US and Moscow ahead of sending troops to Ukraine later that month. American soccer star Megan Rapinoe said last Sunday that she was "apparently being held as a political prisoner."
The Russian Foreign Ministry last Sunday denied US claims that Greiner was illegally detained and said Russian laws should be respected.
"If a US citizen is detained in connection with the fact that she smuggled drugs, and she does not deny it, then it should be commensurate with our Russian laws, not those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington," the spokeswoman said. Kremlin Maria Zakharova.
"If drugs are legalized in the United States, in a number of states, and this has been done for a long time and now the whole country will become addicted to drugs, it does not mean that all other countries are going the same way," she added.
Russian media speculate that Greiner could be exchanged for prominent Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who is in prison in the United States, and that Paul Whelan, an American imprisoned in Russia for espionage, could also participate in the exchange.
US officials did not comment on the prospects for such a "trade". Russian officials said the exchange could not be discussed until the court case against Greiner was concluded. It is unclear how long the trial will last, but the court has remanded her in custody until December 20.
At one of the previous trials, written testimony was released from a doctor who said he had authorized her to use cannabis for pain relief.
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