Brittney Griner was stopped at Moscow airport for drugs and her fate keeps the United States apprehensive. There are fears of “retaliation” for the tensions linked to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
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The world of basketball is experiencing days of apprehension about the fate of Brittney Griner. The popular basketball player, one of the stars of the WNBA or the professional women’s basketball league of the United States of America, was arrested in Russia for drugs and now risks big. The situation of the basketball player born in 1990 worries the American authorities not a little, considering also the very particular historical moment and the increase in tensions between the States and Russia due to the war in Ukraine, with the most acute crisis between the two countries from the time of the Cold War.
What happened to Brittney Griner, the arrest in Russia
Brittney Griner’s nightmare apparently began last month and shortly before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February when she was stopped at Sheremetyevo airport near Moscow. Only in recent days, however, the Federal Customs Service of Russia has made it official his detention. The 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury and US national team column with whom he collected World Cup and Olympic golds according to the reconstruction was blocked after a drug-resistant sniffer dog prompted security officers to search his hand luggage.
Because the American basketball player was stopped at the airport in Russia
Federal agents found inside vaporizer cartridges containing hash oil, a marijuana concentrate that has a high concentration of the psychoactive chemical THC. The same is commonly sold in cartridges for e-cigarettes, and in fact, by scanning the traveler’s bag, vaporizers were also found. In a video that has also ended up on social media, we see the Griner object of the airport security checks with a trolley suitcase and a small backpack, from which the package was then extracted and examined further by customs officers. After the identification of the player by the Russian state news agency, it was reported that the customs service has opened a criminal case against him for large-scale transportation of drugsan accusation that could lead to a sentence up to 10 years in prison.
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Brittney Griner in action in the WNBA
US concern for Griner’s fate in Russia
Initially, the silence on the fate of Griner had generated many worries, given that the same published the last post on Instagram on February 5. It is difficult to say what happened immediately after the arrest, with the timing of the detention obscure as well as the possible political implications. Everything suggests that the player was held in custody for several days, secretly before the Russian authorities chose to make everything clearer, with official communications. For this reason, as also pointed out by the New York Times, the hypothesis that Russia has targeted Brittney Griner cannot be excluded. as “leverage” against the United States after the events of the war in Ukraine.
But why was Brittney Griner in Russia? Everything is linked to a fairly widespread practice for American basketball players. In fact, the latter often and willingly, when the WNBA stops, they also fly to Russia to play for international teams. A situation that allows them to collect a lot of money. There are about 70 who moved from America to Europe and more than 12 who fought between Russia and Ukraine. Griner in fact played for the Russians of UMMC Ekaterinburg. However, she certainly could not imagine the escalation of tension that would be unleashed shortly thereafter and which apparently cost her too dearly.
If USA Basketball on Twitter reiterated that “Brittney has always behaved with the utmost professionalism during her long tenure with USA Basketball “, the White House also intervened on the matter with the press officer Jen Psaki who claimed to “have read the reports on the detention of the basketball player”, but not to be able to speak about them publicly in light of the federal privacy law which prevents discussing the detention of a person without their written consent. Same position also for the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken who did not answer the questions about the possible aims of the Russian, on an arrest considered a possible “revenge” for the economic, military and diplomatic pressure that the United States is exerting against Russia. .
Certainly the case of Griner caused a sensation overseas and there is great concern, also in light of the precedents. Joaquin Castro representative of the Texas Democrats in this regard cited the case of Trevor Reed, a former US Marine who a Russian court sentenced to nine years in prison in 2020 on charges of violence against police officers, despite protests by family and friends who described it as fraudulent. Also for this reason, the State Department issued an updated notice in which it urged American citizens to leave Russia immediately, given the “potential for harassment of US citizens by Russian government security officials. “
The message from the wife of the American basketball champion
Cherelle Griner, the wife of the popular basketball champion who posted a long message on Instagram, also expressed herself publicly on the matter: “Thanks to everyone who contacted me regarding my wife’s safe return from Russia. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated. I love my wife with all my heart, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life. I understand that many of you have come to love BG over the years, have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work to bring my wife home safely“The US authorities are close to the Griner family and the State Department has already announced that it is providing every” possible assistance “to any American detained by a foreign government.
