Following the unexpected detention of WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic champ Brittney Griner in Russia for allegedly possessing a vape containing cannabis oil in her bags at the Sheremetyevo Airport, U.S. officials finally issued less than hopeful remarks about securing the athlete’s release.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the United States will "provide every possible assistance" to citizens who are being held in foreign countries but that there is "only so much" he can say about Griner at this point.
“Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we, of course, stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia," Blinken said.
"We have an embassy team that's working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia," Blinken added. "We're doing everything we can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected."
US House Armed Services Committee member John Garamendi (D-Cal), was equally pessimistic. "It’s going to be very difficult” to get Griner out of Russia, he said.
“Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment,” Garamendi told CNN on Monday.
“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 noted that “Russia has some very, very strict LGBT rules and laws” – though it’s not clear whether those rules and laws might impact Griner’s case.
Is This News To Russia? Of Course Not
Griner is in her second marriage to a woman, Cherelle Griner. Therefore it would seem odd that the Russians only just now became aware of, or bothered by the fact that Griner is a lesbian. For several years, Griner has regularly traveled to Russia as a member of the country’s UMMC Ekaterinburg team for which she played in her off-seasons when she is not playing for the Phoenix Mercury.
The customs agency in Moscow said the arrest happened in February, though the exact date was not given. Griner's whereabouts since her arrest remain uncertain.
Petition For Griner’s Release
“Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U.S.” petition on Change.org was started on Saturday shortly after news of Griner’s detention became public. Journalist Tamryn Spruill, who covers women’s basketball, started the online petition.
“Griner is a beloved global citizen who has used her platform since her entry into the WNBA to help others,” Spruill wrote. “Griner was in Russia for work: playing for UMMC Ekaterinburg where, in 2021 she helped the team win its fifth EuroLeague Women championship."
Spruill explained why many female professional basketball players in the US work overseas where their salaries are much higher.
“These realities are not the fault of the players," Sprull said. "They simply want to be paid their worth like their male counterparts, and they do not deserve to be entangled in geopolitical turmoil for doing so.”
Griner’s wife Cherelle wrote on Instagram: “I’m Hurting. We’re Hurting. We Await The Day To Love on You As A Family,” she wrote on Monday. “I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details.”
