DETAINED WNBA PLAYER BRITTNEY GRINER IS SET TO TESTIFY TOMORROW IN A MOSCOW COURT. IT’S BEEN ANOTHER INTENSE WEEK FOR THE 31-YEAR-OLD OLYMPIAN WHO HAS PLEADED GUILTY TO BRINGING CANNABIS OIL INTO RUSSIA. TODAY’S TRIAL SESSION FEATURED A DRUG EXPERT BROUGHT IN BY GRINER’S ATTORNEYS TO PRESENT THE CASE THAT GRINER USED THE OIL FOR MEDICAL PURPOSES. A COMMON PRACTICE AMONG ATHLETES. GRINER’S LAWYERS SAY SHE DID NOT PURPOSEFULLY BRING THE DRUGS TO RUSSIA AND ACCIDENTALLY PUT THE OIL IN HER SUITCASE WHEN SHE PACKED IN A HURRY. SHE FACES UP TO TEN YEARSANE RUSSIAN PRISON. WHILE HER TRIAL HAS CAUGHT THE WORLD TFS ATTENTION, SHE’S NOT THE ONLY AMERICAN DETAINED IN RUSSIA ON CANNABIS CHARGES. MARK FOGLE HAS BEEN HELD BY A RUSSIAN COURT FOR THE BETTER PART OF A YEAR AND WAS SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON. HE USED MEDICAL CANNABIS TO TREAT CHRONIC BACK PAIN. WE REPORT ON THE LESSER KNOWN TEACHER’S CASE AS THE RELATIONSHIP WITH RUSSIA GETS ICIER BY THE DAY. >> YOU’RE WATCHING THE LAST MOMENT OF FREEDOM FOR MARK FOGLE, AN AMERICAN TEACHER HEADING BACK TO MOSCOW LAST AUGUST FOR HIS TENTH YEAR TEACHING THE CHILDREN OF U.S. DIPLOMATS. AIRPORT PERSONNEL GOING THROUGH HIS BAGS. JUST MINUTES BEFORE HE WAS DETAINED FOR CARRYING CANNABIS INTO THE COUNTRY. HIS SISTER SAYS NO ONE IN HIS FAMILY HAS HEARD HIS VOICE SINCE. ALL THEY HAVE ARE LETTERS WRITTEN IN RUSSIAN. >> HE SAYS WHAT HE WANTS IN ENGLISH. SOMEONE TRANSLATES FOR HIM, ONE OF HIS CELL MATES, AND DEPENDING ON HOW GOOD THEIR ENGLISH IS IS HOW ACCURATE A PICTURE WE GET OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. VERY CONVOLUTED, AND IT’S INCREDIBLY WORRISOME BECAUSE WE CAN’T REALLY HAVE — THERE IS NO HONEST CONVERSATION. EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH THE CENSORS. IT’S — IT’S HARROWING. >> FOGLE WAS CONVICTED OF SMUGGLING DRUGS INTO RUSSIA AND LAST MONTH SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON. IN A HIGH SECURITY PENAL COLONY. HIS FAMILY AND LAWYERS HAVE SAID HE WAS CARRYING CANNABIS FOR MEDICAL REASONS. TREATING CHRONIC BACK PAIN. >> HE MADE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE BY TAKING MEDICAL MARIJUANA INTO RUSSIA. BUT 14 YEARS IN A HARD LABOR CAMP IS ESSENTIALLY A DEATH SENTENCE FOR HIM. HE’S 61 YEARS OLD AND HE HAS A VERY LONG HISTORY OF SPINAL INJURY. >> THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HIS DETENTION HAVE SOME SIMILARITIES TO THE ARREST OF WNBA STAR BRITTNEY GRINER. BUT GRINER WAS DECLARED WRONGFULLY DETAINED BY THE STATE DEPARTMENT LESS THAN THREE MONTHS AFTER HER ARREST. FOGLE’S FAMILY IS STILL WAITING. >> HE IS WRONGFULLY DETAINED. THERE’S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. THIS IS AN OUTRAGEOUS, OUTRAGEOUS SENTENCE. >> AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF DETENTION, THE CHARGES, FAIR TRIAL GUARANTEES DUE PROCESS OR LACK THEREOF, WE’RE ALWAYS WEIGHING THOSE DEVELOPMENTS AGAINST THE CRITERIA TO DETERMINE WHETHER AN AMERICAN IS WRONGFULLY HELD OR NOT. >> WHILE FOGLE WAS CARRYING ABOUT 20 GRAMS OF CANNABIS, MUCH MORE THAN GRINER, HIS AMERICAN LAWYER SAYS THAT HIS SENTENCE CANNOT BE EXPLAINED WITHOUT THERE BEING A POLITICAL MOTIVE. >> THIS IS A PERSON WHO HAS SERVED THE AMERICAN DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR WELL OVER THE MAJORITY OF HIS CAREER. I NEED MY PRESIDENT AND MY FIRST LADY TO STANDS UP FOR HIM. HE NEEDS TO COME HOME. >> NOW, THE IMPORTANCE HERE OF DEEMING HIM WRONGFULLY DETAINED WOULD MEAN THAT THAT WOULD THEN LAUNCH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THE STATE DEPARTMENT, TO ENGAGE IN EFFORTS, NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE RUSSIANS TO GET HIM HOME AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. AND JAKE, WE SHOULD NOTE THAT THIS WEEK IS MARK FOGLE’S BIRTHDAY. AND SO IT’S AN INCREDIBLY EMOTIONAL WEEK FOR HIS FAMILY, AS HE HAS TO CELEBRATE THAT BIRTHDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A RUSSIAN PRISON. JAKE. >> KYLIE ATWOOD AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT FOR US. THANK YOU SO MUCH. Video source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AW9ukbN5KU
