Russian court extends Griner's arrest until May 19

A Moscow court announced that it extended the arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner until May 19, according to official news agency Tass.

Griner was detained at Moscow airport in February, after Russian authorities said they had found e-cigarette cartridges in her luggage. The cartridges were subsequently determined to contain a cannabis-derived oil, which constitutes an offence that could be punishable even by 10 years' imprisonment.

The case of the 31-year-old basketball player, one of the most recognized players in women's basketball, takes place amid the high tension of relations between Washington and Moscow due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“The court accepted the investigating party's request and extended the period of detention of U.S. citizen Griner until May 19,” the court said, according to Tass.

The US embassy in Moscow did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Associated Press seeking comment.

The U.S. Department of State is doing “everything it can to support Brittney Griner and her family, working with them to do everything they can, treat her appropriately and seek her release,” spokesman Ned Price said Tuesday during a briefing. He did not elaborate when he cited questions about his privacy.

Ekaterina Kalugina, a member of the Public Monitoring Commission, a Russian panel that receives state support to monitor prisoner conditions, told Tass that Griner shares a cell with two other women accused of narcotics offenses.

Griner's colleagues speak English and were helping him communicate with the staff at the pre-trial detention center and to obtain books, Kalugina said.

“The only difficulty was the height of the basketball player,” Tass quoted Kalugina, about Griner, who is 2.05 meters tall. “The beds in the cells are clearly made for people of smaller stature.”

Griner has won two Olympic gold medals for the United States, a WNBA scepter with the Phoenix Mercury and a national championship with Baylor University. On seven occasions she has been chosen to the WNBA All-Star Game, whose next season starts on May 6.

She is one of 12 WNBA basketball players who played last season in Russia and Ukraine. Except for Griner, the rest have left since Russia invaded Ukraine.

Griner has played in Russia for the past seven years during the winter and has won more than one million dollars per campaign, more than four times his WNBA pay.

The previous time he played for his team in Russia, the UMMC in Yekaterinburg, was on January 29, before the two-week break in the league in early February due to the qualifying tournaments for the International Basketball Federation World Cup. She was arrested in Moscow as soon as she returned to Russia.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday joined the huge contingent of family, friends and people who have called for her release, with the Twitter message “Free Brittney” — “Free Brittney”.

It is unclear whether there is any progress in the case because Griner's representatives work quietly to secure his release. They have refrained from giving a public message since their arrest transcended this month.

Griner's wife, Cherelle, thanked everyone for their support, but said nothing else on social media.

“Everyone received the strategy of saying less and managing privately behind the scenes,” WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told the PA Wednesday. “It's the strategy you receive from the State Department and the government. It's a priority when you talk to your agent and strategists.”