US basketball star Griner pleads guilty to drug charges in Russia

US basketball player Brittney Griner, who is imprisoned in Russia, has pleaded guilty to a drug offence in a court near Moscow, according to several Russian news agencies.
Griner also said she had not intended to commit a crime, but had packed in a hurry, the Interfax agency reported from the courtroom.
Maria Blagovolina, one of Griner's two attorneys, said that she hoped for a mild judgement from the court. She added that she also hoped the fact Griner had no intention of breaking the law and had pleaded guilty would be taken into consideration.
She was arrested on February 17 after being accused of having cannabis oil in her luggage. The twice Olympic champion and star of the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team plays in Russia in the US off-season.
She was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport and has since been in pre-trial detention, which was last extended until December 20.
The trial is scheduled to continue on July 14 and she faces up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
Griner asked US President Joe Biden for help in a letter. US officials have said her arrest was politically motivated amid a fall-off in relations between Russia and the US following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, denies this.