One of the most accomplished professional athletes in American basketball is currently detained in Russia.
On March 5, the New York Times reported that seven-time WNBA all-star and two-time Olympic gold medallist Brittney Griner has been in Russian custody since early February after airport officials reportedly found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.
A new video shared on social media on March 17 showed Griner entering a Moscow-area courtroom with officials. On the same day, the court extended her detention through to at least May 19.
Griner is facing drug trafficking charges that could result in up to 10 years in Russian prison.
Her detention is made more alarming in the context of escalating world conflict around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with some experts suspecting that Griner could serve as a pawn amid escalating conflict with the U.S. An added layer is that Griner, who is Black and openly gay, is stuck in a country that continues to impose strict anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Here’s what we know—and what we don’t—about Griner’s detention.
Where is Brittney Griner?
Griner is currently being detained at a Russian pre-trial facility in an unknown location, where she has been held since Feb. 17, according to Rep. Colin Allred, who has been working with the U.S. State Department to return Griner home.
Griner’s last Instagram post prior to her detention was made on Feb. 5.
Why did Russia detain Griner?
Griner reportedly had vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her possession when she arrived at the Sheremetyevo Airport. (Hashish is a concentrated form of cannabis with higher levels of THC than regular marijuana.)
“As a U.S. citizen was passing through the [nothing to declare] green channel at Sheremetyevo Airport upon arriving from New York, a working dog from the Sheremetyevo customs canine department detected the possible presence of narcotic substances in the accompanying luggage,” a statement from the Russians customs service said.
“The customs inspection of the hand luggage being carried by the U.S. citizen confirmed the presence of vapes with specifically smelling liquid, and an expert determined that the liquid was cannabis oil (hash oil), which is a narcotic substance.”
Russia has charged Griner with drug smuggling charges which could result in upwards of 10 years in prison.
Why was Griner in Russia?
While Griner plays for the WNBA Phoenix Mercury and U.S. women’s national basketball team in America, like many WNBA players, she spends the winter off-season abroad in order to make more money. Prior to her arrest, Griner was playing for the Russian team UMMC Ekaterinburg, based in Yekaterinburg in central Russia. This was Griner’s seventh season playing in Russia.
Married WNBA players Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigly also played for the team, along with several other international players. Team play was suspended in February as a result of the conflict with Ukraine, and all international players have reportedly successfully left Russia.
What is the WNBA doing?
Following news of Griner’s detention, both the WNBA and Mercury released statements in support of her safe return to the U.S.
“Griner has the WNBA’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States,” the WNBA wrote.
“We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia. We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the W.N.B.A. and N.B.A,” the Mercury wrote in a statement. “We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.”
Is the U.S. government trying to free Griner?
Various government officials in the U.S. have called for an investigation into Griner’s detention and her swift return home. But some say it will be difficult to get her out of Russia considering the current conflict.
“Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment,” Democratic Rep. John Garamendi of California told CNN last week.
“Perhaps during the various negotiations that may take place, she might be able to be one of the solutions. I don’t know.”
Garamendi also cited Russia’s “very, very strict LGBT rules and laws” as a further complicating factor in Griner’s detention and the possibility of her return to the U.S.
U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee represents Griner’s hometown of Houston, Texas, and called on U.S. President Joe Biden to elevate the issue, alongside the rest of the Congressional Black Caucus.
“I’m just plain angry. I’m just darn angry how all of a sudden she becomes someone whose items need to be specifically selected out. And with that in mind, I think it is crucial that this gets elevated,” Jackson Lee told The Grio.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that U.S. officials are “doing everything we can” to help Griner.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki would not confirm last week if Griner was being used as a political bargaining chip by Russian President Valdimir Putin.
“We typically do not get into specifics because that is not constructive to bringing people home,” Psaki said during a briefing. “Our objective is always to bring American citizens home who are detained in foreign countries. So that will remain our focus.”
What has Griner’s family said?
Griner’s wife, Cherelle, has shared several statements on social media in support of Brittney’s release, asking fans to honour their family’s privacy during this time.
“I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honour our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely,” she wrote in an Instagram post on March 5.
Does Griner’s detention have anything to do with Ukraine?
Griner was taken into Russian custody 10 days before Putin announced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the U.S. and western allies have cracked down on the country, imposing strict sanctions on Russian oil and banks, increasing tensions between the country.
Rep. Allard says that the fact that the U.S. has not made direct contact with Griner since she was detained is “unusual,” and could be a result of the increased tensions.
“That’s extremely unusual and extremely concerning,” Allred told The Hill. “The fact that we’ve not had official government contact with her to help her through this process. She is in touch with her Russian lawyer who is helping us understand her situation and working through the legal process.”
Jonathan Franks, who has worked with numerous American citizens in similar situations, told CNN he’s “very concerned” about Griner.
“This has a lot of hallmarks of a very wrongful and arbitrary detention,” he explained.
“I think that it’s a huge mistake to report these allegations as if they’re true or even are likely to be true.”
How does Griner’s queerness factor into her detention in Russia?
Many officials and experts have expressed particular concern over what it means for Griner to be an openly Black lesbian detained in Russia.
Russia introduced strict “gay propoganda” laws in 2013 that essentially criminalize the distribution of “propaganda” to minors which promotes “non-traditional sexual relationships.”
David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, told The Hill that these laws highlight Russia’s “very public history” of anti-LGBTQ2S+ sentiment, and could point to a dark outcome where Griner never returns to the U.S.
“All those things make her prone to particular attack,” he said. “We live in a world where that’s possible. I mean, all of those things are possibilities … having watched Russia slow-walk into a war right before our eyes.”
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