The trial of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner is set to begin in Moscow on Friday after the Kremlin recently announced her detention in Russia has been extended another six months.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that returning her to the U.S. is a top priority of the Biden administration.
“Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained, unjustly detained and we have made that clear as an official determination of the U.S. government. It has the fullest attention of the president and every senior member of his national security and diplomatic team,” he said.
Griner is accused of unlawfully possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years.