INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A Russian court on Friday extended the pre-trial detention on drug charges of United States basketball star Brittney Griner, state media
reported.Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion, was detained at Moscow airport in February on charges of carrying in
her luggage vape cartridges with cannabis oil, which could carry a 10-year prison sentence.A court in the town of Khimki outside Moscow
extended Griner's arrest until June 18, state news agency TASS reported, citing a court representative.Griner's detention came days
before Russia defied United States warnings and sent troops into Ukraine, prompting Western powers to impose sweeping sanctions and send
military aid to Kyiv.Washington said last month that Russia had "wrongfully detained" the six-foot-nine (2.06-meter) basketball star, 31,
honored her when the latest season started in May.Griner is considered among the greatest female basketball players and is a high points
scorer, partly thanks to her ability to dunk the ball.She was playing club basketball in Russia before the resumption of the United States
season, a common practice for American stars seeking additional income.Despite sky-high tensions between the United States and Russia, the
two countries conducted a high-profile prisoner exchange in April, in scenes reminiscent of the Cold War.In the exchange, Russia freed
Trevor Reed, a former United States Marine accused of drunkenly fighting with police.Washington also says Russia has unjustly detained Paul
Whelan, a former security official at a vehicle parts company who was sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2020.
