Brittney Griner in court as Russia may want to use case to negotiate prisoner exchange with US

Basketball star appeared in Moscow court on Friday after being arrested four months ago on suspicion of cannabis possession

The US basketball star Brittney Griner has appeared in a Moscow court in a drug trafficking case that Russia may want to use to negotiate another prisoner exchange in its standoff with the United States.

Griner, who was arrested four months ago at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport on the suspicion of cannabis possession, said that she understood the charges against her. It is not clear whether she entered a plea at Friday's hearing, which took place at the Khimki city court outside Moscow.