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U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner pleaded guilty in a Russian court on Thursday to drugs charges that could see her face 10 years in prison, a Reuters journalist reported from the courtroom.
Griner’s family have called on U.S. President Joe Biden to step up efforts to secure the WNBA star’s release.
“I’d like to plead guilty, your honour. But there was no intent. I didn’t want to break the law,” Griner said, speaking English, which was then translated into Russian for the court.
“I’d like to give my testimony later. I need time to prepare,” she added.
Griner, a star centre with the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA, was detained in February at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport after vape canisters with cannabis oil allegedly were found in her luggage.
Russian news agencies quoted Griner as saying she had acted unintentionally because she was packing in haste.
The trial of the 31-year-old two-time Olympic gold medallist began last week.
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