Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, previously holding the position from 1999 until 2008. He was also the Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012.
Brittney Griner’s Trial in Russia to Begin This Week
New York Times reports.The Olympic gold medalist and WNBA champion, 31, did not speak at the court hearing Monday in the Moscow Suburb of Khimik.Boikov told the Times that Griner’s trial could take up to two months.
He added that Griner hasn’t made any complaints about her time in the detention center where she’d been kept. Griner was arrested on February 17 at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow after authorities allegedly found vape cartridges containing residue of hashish oil in her luggage.
She faces up to 10 years in prison.She was in Russia to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA off-season.In May, the State Department transferred Griner’s case to the presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs and reclassified her status as wrongfully detained.Some have speculated that Griner is being used by Russia to gain some leverage after continued deteriorating relations between the U.S.
and Russia, especially after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.During an exclusive interview with NBC News on Monday, the spokesman for Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Peskov, denied the State Department's allegation that Griner is a hostage.“She violated Russian law, and now she's being prosecuted,” Peskov said. “It’s not about being a hostage.
