INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
United States basketball star Brittney Griner, who is in detention in Russia on drug charges, will go on trial in Russia on July 1, a court
said on Monday.Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion, was detained at a Moscow airport in February after she was found
in prison in Russia.Griner's detention came days before Russian President Vladimir Putin defied United States warnings and sent troops
into Ukraine, prompting Western powers to impose sweeping sanctions and send military aid to Kyiv.A court in the town of Khimki outside
Moscow said on Monday that Griner's trial will begin on July 1.Griner's lawyer said on Monday the court had extended her detention for
the duration of the trial."This was absolutely expected," he said.He said his client, who was seen by journalists being escorted in
handcuffs, was "worried."Washington says that Russia has "wrongfully detained" the six-foot-nine (2.06-meter) basketball star, 31, and
turned her case over to the United States special envoy in charge of hostages.The WNBA has also said it is working to bring Griner home.She
is considered among the greatest female basketball players and is a high points scorer.She was playing club basketball in Russia before the
resumption of the United States season, a common practice for American stars seeking additional income.
