U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to a drugs charge in a Russian court but denied she had intentionally broken the law.
Speaking at the second hearing of her trial on the narcotics charge that carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, days after,Griner urged U.S. President Joe Biden to secure her 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 quietly in English which was then translated into Russian for the court,asking for time to prepare her testimony later.
The next court hearing was scheduled for July 14.
Griner’s lawyers told reporters they were hoping for the most lenient sentencing possible as her defense, explained to her the possible consequences.
Reuters reporter say her attorney Maria Blagovolina, one of Griner’s attorneys stressed that she committed the crime out of carelessness, getting ready to board a plane to Russia in a hurry, not intending to break Russian law.
Editing by Marian Benjamin, Omotola Oguneye