American basketball star Brittney Griner is expected to spend two more months in prison after being arrested at Moscow Airport.
As the state news agency Tass reported on Thursday, the measure against the two-time Olympic champion was extended until May 19 by a court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki.
Griner was arrested after a vaporizer and intoxicating cannabis oil were allegedly found in her luggage.
According to the Ria Novosti news agency, Griner's lawyers are said to have tried to get her client released because the treatment was "unlawful" and "excessively harsh".
This was rejected.
However, the defense lawyers have not denied the "allegations of drug trafficking per se," Ria Novosti said.
Griner faces up to ten years in prison.
"We insist that the Russian government grant consular access to all U.S. citizens, including those in custody like Brittney Griner," the State Department said in a statement to ESPN.
"Griner is not doing well, but she's okay," an unnamed source close to the player told the TV station.
The 31-year-old Griner had led Phoenix Mercury to their third title in the North American professional league WNBA in 2014 and had reached the final again with her team in 2021.
Since 2015, Griner has also played during the WNBA break at UMMC Yekaterinburg.
Except for the Olympic champion of 2016 and 2021, all players from the US league left Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
Many women from the WNBA play off-season in European basketball leagues, including Russia and Ukraine.
This improves their salary.
The US State Department had already issued a travel warning for Russia on January 23 and pointed out the "possibility of harassment of US citizens by the Russian security authorities".