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Experts: Brittney Griner’s legal defense in Russian court is meaningless

Just as the Biden administration is becoming more aggressive in prisoner trade negotiations with the Kremlin, WNBA star Brittney Griner seems to be taking a similar approach to her legal defense.

Hoping for a lenient sentence, Griner and her attorneys have shown a newfound willingness to risk making waves by challenging evidence that Russian prosecutors present.

In her testimony on July 27, Griner made a point of highlighting the alleged failure of Russian authorities to adhere to their country’s rules. Griner said that she was not read her rights after her arrest at a Moscow airport in February, that she did not have access to an attorney and that she was told to sign Russian-language documents without fully understanding what they were or the consequences of signing them.