Her arrest came at a time of heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington ahead of Russia sending troops into Ukraine later that month. WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner holds images standing in a cage at a court room prior to a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, on July 27, 2022. Griner’s trial began July 1 in the Moscow suburb of Khimki where Sheremetyevo Airport is located, and it is unclear how long it will last. Elizabeth Rood, the U.S. Embassy’s charge d’affaires who has been attending the trial, said Griner was feeling well. Some of Griner’s supporters contend she is being held in Russia as a pawn, possibly for a prisoner swap.

Source: Huffington Post July 27, 2022 22:18 UTC