(ABC NEWS) — ABC News reports that the Khimki Court of the Moscow Region has extended until July 2 the arrest of US Olympic basketball champion Brittney Griner on charges of drug smuggling.
This was reported to TASS on Tuesday by the press service of the court.
"The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the detention period for US citizen Greiner for 18 days, until July 2," the court representative said.
The athlete was arrested on suspicion of trying to illegally import hash oil into the Russian Federation through Sheremetyevo Airport.
Greiner won the 2014 World Championships in Turkey, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the 2018 World Championships in Spain, and the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo with Team USA.
Before her arrest, she played for the UMMC team from Yekaterinburg.
On May 13, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki reported that the Washington administration was taking steps to release the American basketball player, without disclosing the nature of these efforts.
In turn, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergei Ryabkov, commenting on reports about the possibility of exchanging Russian businessman Viktor Bout, who was convicted in the United States for arms trafficking, for Greiner, urged to wait for the completion of the trial in her case.
