**Summary of Key Points from Extracts on Brittney Griner’s Detention and Its Implications:**

- **Background and Context:**
  Brittney Griner, a star American basketball player who is a Black, openly gay woman, was at the peak of her career in 2022.

She played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where top WNBA athletes often compete during the off-season to earn salaries far above what is offered in the WNBA.

Griner reportedly earned over $1 million in Russia compared to about $165,000 in the U.S., highlighting the persistent gender pay gap in professional sports.

- **Why She Was in Russia and Detention Details:**
  In February 2022, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport after police allegedly found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage.

The timing of her arrest, coinciding with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, placed her at the center of escalating geopolitical tensions.

The U.S. State Department classified her as “wrongfully detained,” suggesting she was being used as a political pawn.

- **Political Ramifications:**
  Griner’s case highlights the intersection of sports, gender, race, and geopolitics.

Her arrest came as Russia became increasingly isolated from the global sports community—foreign players and teams were leaving in protest over the Ukraine war, and Russian leagues were suffering.

The situation illustrated how governments can leverage high-profile foreigners for political bargaining or as retaliation against adverse international actions.

- **Griner’s Experience in Russian Detention:**
  Griner endured 294 days in Russian prison conditions that are known to be harsh and unfamiliar, especially for Americans.

As a Black, gay woman, she faced particularly daunting challenges in an environment lacking diversity or support for minorities.

Friends and supporters noted the toll the incarceration took on her, but also her remarkable resilience and ability to hold on to hope.

- **American Government’s Response:**
  Griner’s detention became a cause célèbre in the U.S., spurring advocacy from politicians, the public, and celebrities.

The American government eventually negotiated her release via a high-profile prisoner swap with Russia, exchanging Griner for Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms dealer.

This exchange was controversial, reflecting both the value placed on celebrity lives in public discourse and the tough choices facing diplomats.

- **Aftermath and Return Home:**
  Upon her release and return to the U.S., Griner faced a challenging adjustment period.

The ordeal left profound emotional scars, yet she demonstrated joy and gratitude to be reunited with her loved ones and back on the court.

Her experience became emblematic of larger issues: the vulnerabilities of athletes—especially women and minorities—abroad, the politicization of sports, and America’s ongoing struggles with racism and homophobia.

- **Broader Implications:**
  Griner’s story exposes broader systemic inequities in women’s sports (notably pay disparities), and the precarious position of LGBTQ and Black athletes on the global stage.

It urges us to reflect on how governments manipulate celebrity for political ends and underscores the necessity for raising collective voices against injustice—borrowing from figures like Audre Lorde who advocated speaking truth to power.

These events remind us that, beyond the headlines, individual lives are deeply affected by the intersection of politics, identity, and global sport.

Griner’s story is a case study in how international power struggles put the most vulnerable—sometimes the brightest stars—in the crosshairs.

Below are summarized nuggets of information focusing on Brittney Griner’s story, as extracted from the provided text:

---

**Summary: Brittney Griner’s Detention, Political Context, and Aftermath**

- **Brittney Griner’s Detention and Incarceration:**
  - Brittney Griner, an American professional basketball player, was detained in Russia in 2022 after Russian authorities found a small amount of cannabis oil in her luggage.

- She was arrested at a Moscow airport, charged with drug smuggling and possession, and subsequently incarcerated in a Russian penal colony.

- Griner’s detention was accompanied by extensive media coverage and marked by her vulnerable situation as a Black, openly gay woman in a foreign prison system known for strict conditions.

- **Political Implications & Use as a Political Pawn:**
  - Griner’s imprisonment became not just a legal issue, but a deeply politicized event.

Her status as a high-profile American sports figure, combined with the tense U.S.-Russia relations (especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine), positioned her as a pawn in larger geopolitical struggles.

- Her release became a negotiation point, highlighting how governments can leverage the detention of celebrities for political bargaining, public opinion, and diplomatic gains.

- **Prisoner Swap and Public Reaction:**
  - The culmination of Griner’s ordeal was a high-profile prisoner exchange.

Russia released Griner in exchange for Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms dealer held in the U.S.
  - Footage of the swap was released showing Griner being told by her Russian escort "you are going home to the United States, so everything will be fine."

- The United States’ decision to exchange Bout for Griner sparked debate; some viewed it as a necessary step to save an American citizen, while others criticized the deal as lopsided, given Bout’s criminal history.

- **U.S. Efforts to Secure Her Release:**
  - The American government’s campaign for Griner’s freedom was sustained and high-profile, involving diplomatic channels, media advocacy, pressure from civil rights and sports organizations, and direct negotiations with Russia.

- Griner’s family, her WNBA team, and prominent activists kept her case in the media—and on the agenda of U.S. officials—highlighting both humanitarian concerns and the gender/race dynamics at play.

- **Griner’s Post-Release Experience:**
  - Upon her return, Griner expressed immense relief and gratitude, embracing her family and publicly acknowledging the trauma of her experience.

- Her transition back into American life involved personal readjustment, therapy, and a vocal intention to support others wrongfully detained abroad.

- Griner has since announced the release of a book about her experience in Russian prison, aiming to shed light on the realities of political detention, raise awareness about other Americans held abroad, and contribute to broader discussions about gender and race in sport and society.

---

**Takeaways:**
Brittney Griner’s story illustrates the dangerous intersections of sports, gender, sexuality, race, and international politics.

Her plight underscores how female athletes—especially women of color—can be uniquely vulnerable targets for political maneuvering, and how sports figures can become unwilling actors in geopolitical power plays.

Her resilience and advocacy following her release continue to impact conversations around justice and the politicization of celebrity.

**Brittney Griner’s Detention in Russia: Sport, Gender, and Geopolitics Intersect**

**Arrest and Imprisonment:**
Brittney Griner, the American professional basketball player, was detained in Russia in February 2022 after authorities found cannabis oil cartridges in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

She played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team, like many WNBA players seeking higher foreign salaries during the American off-season.

Griner described the arrest as the start of an “incomprehensible period” in her life.

**Her Experience in the Russian Penitentiary System:**
Griner spent 10 months in a Russian prison, enduring harsh conditions.

While detailed information from her yet-to-be-released book is forthcoming (due out in 2024), initial statements suggest Griner will share her emotional journey, the stresses of incarceration, the isolation faced—particularly as a Black, openly gay American woman in a country with anti-LGBTQ+ policies—and what it took to mentally and physically survive.

The trauma of separation from her wife, family, and community is a key theme.

**Political Implications:**
Griner’s arrest came at a time of heightened political tensions between the United States and Russia, especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Many believe her status made her a political pawn, with the Russian government leveraging her high-profile case to exert diplomatic pressure and extract concessions.

The intersection of sports, gender, race, and politics became clear: a Black lesbian athlete became a symbol and a bargaining chip in a global standoff.

**American Government's Response:**
The U.S. government, facing public outcry and advocacy from athletes, LGBTQ+ communities, and civil rights organizations, worked intensively for her release.

The administration labeled her "wrongfully detained," engaged in negotiations, and faced criticism both for the length of her detention and for prioritizing her case over others.

**The Prisoner Swap:**
In December 2022, after complex diplomatic negotiations, Griner was released in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The swap underscored the high stakes and moral complexities in such international dealings.

It also reignited debates on the value assigned to different detainees, as former US Marine Paul Whelan remained imprisoned.

**After her Release:**
Upon her return, Griner expressed profound gratitude for public support.

Reintegrating into life in America involved processing trauma, rejoining her loved ones, and resuming her basketball career.

She later announced her memoir, hoping to humanize her ordeal and amplify awareness about Americans detained abroad.

**Conclusion:**
Griner’s story reveals the vulnerability of high-profile athletes—especially women, and doubly so for Black and LGBTQ+ individuals—within the crossfire of international politics.

**Summary of Key Points from Extracts on Brittney Griner’s Detention and Its Implications:**

- **Background and Context:**
  Brittney Griner, a star American basketball player who is a Black, openly gay woman, was at the peak of her career in 2022.

Title:

Content: ‘She brings light’: Brittney Griner’s triumphant return to the WNBA

Prior to being detained in a Russian prison for 294 days, Brittney Griner was on top of the world.

The 32-year-old was coming off one of the best WNBA seasons of her career. She was the Most Valuable Player runner-up, averaging 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Phoenix Mercury, who she led back to the WNBA finals for the first time since winning the title in 2014. Meanwhile, Griner was on her way to play for Russian club UMMC Ekaterinburg, who she had led to four EuroLeague titles since she started spending her WNBA off-seasons there in 2014.

Scroll to continue with content
Ad

At the time of her arrest Griner was, according to the testimony of her Russian teammate Evgenia Belyakova, “the most beloved player in Russia.”

To become such a popular figure in both America and Russia is no easy task for a gay, Black woman. But Griner’s ascent was never easy. She was bullied relentlessly growing up, first for her size and later for her sexuality, becoming one of the first active athletes in professional North American sports to come out as gay, shortly after being drafted No 1 overall by the Mercury in 2013.

In her first game as a pro, the 6ft 9in Griner towered over her opponents, changing the perceptions of what a female basketball player was capable of when she set a WNBA record with two dunks in a game. Griner went on to win a WNBA title, two Olympic gold medals, and seven WNBA All-Star appearances, on pace to achieve a level of greatness few ever have in the women’s game, and being marketed accordingly.

In fact, Griner was the first openly gay athlete to be endorsed by Nike. And the WNBA used her at the center of its marketing, acknowledging that gay athletes and LGBTQ+ activists like Griner were good for business.

Advertisement

So when it all came crashing down at a Moscow airport on 17 February 2022, when Griner was found with vape cartridges containing traces of hashish oil in her luggage, not only did her career come to a screeching halt, but the league that she had been bound to since 2013 lost some of its forward momentum, too. She was later sentenced to nine years in Russian prison.

As much as Griner tried to stay positive, and as much as the WNBA community tried to help, a cloud hung over the entire 2022 season – one that would not dissipate until Griner was released and returned to America.

“Last year, it felt as though we couldn’t play with joy … It felt bad for us to be happy or to celebrate things because the weight of BG’s wrongful detainment weighed over us,” says former Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard.

When the US negotiated a prisoner swap to secure Griner’s freedom last December, she almost immediately announced her intention to return to the WNBA in 2023, signing a one-year deal with the Mercury. But nobody knew what to expect from Griner, who had spent almost a year under arduous physical and mental conditions.

Advertisement

But, against all odds, Griner appears to be back to her normal self, on and off the court.

Related: WNBA power lies with two superteams. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing

In her first WNBA game in 579 days, Griner had 18 points, six rebounds and four blocks in a loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. In her first home game a couple of days later, she hit just the seventh three-pointer of her career, yelling “I’m back!” to the crowd of 14,000 cheering fans.

“I appreciate everything a little more,” Griner said about being back in the league. “All the little, small moments that I used to just [think]: ‘Oh, I’m so tired, I don’t want to go to practice today. And, oh, this and that.’ That has changed, honestly. Just appreciating everything because tomorrow’s not guaranteed.”

Advertisement

Griner is averaging 19.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.4 blocks on a career-high 61.8% shooting through her first nine games of the 2023 season. She is back to being the Mercury’s best player, dominating in the post over swarms of defenders and blocking everything that comes her way on the other end of the floor. After being an honorary All-Star selection last season, Griner was named an All-Star starter on Sunday.

But what may be even more impressive is the enthusiasm and spirit she has brought to the Mercury and the WNBA, constantly flashing her trademark smile, joking around at press conferences, and uplifting her teammates at every opportunity.

“We were all hoping that she was going to be OK coming back, and that she did not lose her light, and she really didn’t,” says Mercury forward Megan Gustafson, adding that Griner’s presence has transformed the locker room. “I think we were a little bit surprised, because anyone that goes through an experience like that – I mean, I couldn’t even imagine being the same person. But she really is and I’m just so proud of her and just the light that she brings again … It’s really just her light, her positivity that [has] shone through.”

Sandy Brondello, who coached Griner in Phoenix for eight seasons prior to moving on to New York, is also glowing about the player’s return to the WNBA. “It’s like sometimes we sweat having a bad game – she was in prison,” says Brondello. “She had to live in prison for such a long time. So I think she has that joy. Just go out there and play.”

Griner has brought a lot of attention to the WNBA, which was already growing rapidly. Not only is the league averaging almost 1,000 more fans a game in Griner’s return season, but its broadcasts have also hit record viewership numbers – up 49% from last season across ESPN networks.

Advertisement

“I think that if you look at last season, there was something and someone missing in the WNBA and that was obviously Brittney Griner,” former WNBA MVP and Griner’s one-time UMMC Ekaterinburg teammate Breanna Stewart says. “So the ability to have her back here kind of makes our circle complete, because she is such a force and a presence on and off the court and her ability to kind of be so dominant and aggressive but also such a kind, caring person – everybody’s missed that.”

Griner’s on-court play cannot be separated from her political advocacy off it, especially in a league as socially active as the WNBA. And Griner’s imprisonment has forced the WNBA to reckon with its lackluster treatment of athletes in the past, forcing the league to improve pay and travel standards so that the Griner situation does not repeat itself.

After all, the primary reason that Griner was in Russia in the first place is because her salary at UMMC Ekaterinburg is over $1m compared to the $165,100 she will make this year in the WNBA. In fact, 67 of the league’s 144 players still played internationally last off-season despite Griner’s detainment. Doing so is a financial necessity rather than a choice for most of the world’s best female basketball players.

The incident also highlighted concerns about commercial travel for WNBA players, many of whom are gay, Black women who can be targets of abuse. In fact, Griner has already been harassed this season when a conservative media personality confronted her and her teammates inside a Dallas airport in mid-June.

Advertisement

In the past, the league has argued that charter flights create an unfair competitive advantage for teams that can afford to pay for them, fining the New York Liberty $500,000 for chartering flights last season. But the WNBA has already made improvements this season, allowing private flights for back-to-back games and for all playoff games. And after the news of Griner’s harassment and the pressure that came from it, the league recently announced that teams are permitted to fly on a public chartering service called JSX for the rest of the season.

It’s a step in the right direction that may not have been possible if not for Griner – a singular force who is as easy to galvanize around because of her on-court performances as she is for her personality. The league still has a long way to go in regards to growing the game and improving standards for its athletes, but Griner’s return has undoubtedly expedited the process.

“It’s a shame that it had to get to rock bottom. Because I feel like waiting for something to happen and then making a change, you don’t know what that something’s gonna be,” Griner said. “We’ve all seen what can happen in this world. And when you play the ‘let’s wait and see game,’ you’re really playing with fire. You’re playing with people’s lives.

“So I’m glad that they finally got it together and are going to allow us to do this. It’s just a shame that it took so damn long.”

She played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia, where top WNBA athletes often compete during the off-season to earn salaries far above what is offered in the WNBA.

Griner reportedly earned over $1 million in Russia compared to about $165,000 in the U.S., highlighting the persistent gender pay gap in professional sports.

- **Why She Was in Russia and Detention Details:**
  In February 2022, Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport after police allegedly found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage.

Title:

Content: Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude

Brittney Griner Is Ready to Tell Her ‘Unfathomable’ Story in New Memoir

The two-time Olympic gold medalist will finally tell the story of her Russian detainment.

We may earn a commission from links on this page.

Ahead of her return to the WNBA, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner has confirmed that she will tell the true story behind her wrongful detainment in Russia. According to The Associated Press, on Tuesday, the eight-time all-star announced that she is working on a memoir about her imprisonment. It is currently scheduled for release in spring 2024.

In February 2022, Griner was stopped in a Moscow airport when the police said they found vape cartridges containing cannabis oil in her luggage. The WNBA champion was charged with drug smuggling and possession. After a short trial, the basketball star was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. Just as she was beginning her sentence in a labor camp, in December 2022 the U.S. and Russia conducted a prisoner exchange, with Griner coming home, while convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout was released into Russian custody.

Advertisement

“That day (in February) was the beginning of an unfathomable period in my life which only now am I ready to share,” Griner said in a statement released by Alfred A. Knopf.

When she was arrested, Griner was headed back to Russia to join UMMC Ekaterinburg, the professional team she played for there. Most top WNBA stars play overseas the rest of the year, as they don’t earn much money competing in the United States.

Advertisement

“The primary reason I traveled back to Russia for work that day was because I wanted to make my wife, family, and teammates proud,” she said. “After an incredibly challenging 10 months in detainment, I am grateful to have been rescued and to be home. Readers will hear my story and understand why I’m so thankful for the outpouring of support from people across the world.”

The two-time Olympic gold medalist went on to say that she hopes “her book would raise awareness of other Americans detained overseas.” In December 2022, the Baylor alum announced on Instagram that she planned to play during the upcoming season, writing, “I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to being able to say ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote, and posted for me in person soon.”

Advertisement

In February, Griner re-signed with the Phoenix Mercury for a one-year deal. She will make her 2023 season debut on the road on Friday, May 19 against the Los Angeles Sparks.

The timing of her arrest, coinciding with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, placed her at the center of escalating geopolitical tensions.

Title:

Content: Brittney Griner to make another court appearance at a hearing in Russia

The content originally appeared on: CNN

CNN

WNBA star Brittney Griner is expected to make another court appearance Thursday, a week after she pleaded guilty to drug charges at a Russian court near Moscow.

The two-time US Olympic basketball gold medalist was arrested February 17 at a Moscow airport, a week before Russia invaded Ukraine. Russian authorities claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage and accused her of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The hearing comes as many in the WNBA, along with other athletes, coaches and politicians, have called for Griner’s release over fears she is being used as a political pawn amid the war in Ukraine. The US State Department has classified Griner as wrongfully detained.

Griner also wrote a letter to President Joe Biden in which she said she fears she will be detained in Russia indefinitely and pleaded for the President not to forget about her or other American detainees.

“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home,” Griner wrote. “I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore.”

It is unclear if the hearing on Thursday will lead to a verdict or if the trial could drag into additional hearings. Griner admitted guilt in the last hearing but told the court that she had not intended to commit a crime, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.

During Thursday’s hearing, the court could force the defense to expand further on her intention, or they could move on to sentencing her, US officials said.

Griner’s lawyers expect the court to take into account the 31-year-old athlete’s guilty plea and hope for leniency, Alexander Boykov and Maria Blagovolina told journalists last week.

Samples taken from Griner did not show any traces of drugs, Boykov added. “She was clean, and she was tested,” the lawyer said.

Griner’s legal team said it was her decision to plead guilty, adding that she “sets an example of being brave.”

“She decided to take full responsibility for her actions as she knows that she is a role model for many people,” their statement read.

“Considering the nature of her case, the insignificant amount of the substance and BG’s personality and history of positive contributions to global and Russian sport, the defense hopes that the plea will be considered by the court as a mitigating factor and there will be no severe sentence.”

Her lawyers said they expect the trial to end around the beginning of the August.

CNN’s Kylie Atwood, Rosa Flores, Jacqueline Rose, Alexa Miranda, Abby Phillip, Dakin Andone and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report.

The U.S. State Department classified her as “wrongfully detained,” suggesting she was being used as a political pawn.

- **Political Ramifications:**
  Griner’s case highlights the intersection of sports, gender, race, and geopolitics.

Title:

Content: BETA
This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here
Edit Story

Brittney Griner Involved In Possible Prisoner Swap With Russia

In an effort to free Brittney Griner, the pro basketball star detained in Russia, the Biden administration has offered to swap her for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout and send him back to Russia, Forbes has learned. Negotiations are in the early stages, according to a non-government source in a position to know.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA all-star who also plays professionally in Russia, was arrested in Moscow Feb. 17 after customs police claimed they found vape cartridges with hash oil in her luggage. Bout, the so-called “Merchant of Death,” inspired Nicolas Cage’s gunrunner character in the 2005 film, “Lord of War.” He’s serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison since his 2011 conviction in New York federal court of conspiring to sell millions of dollars in weapons to FARC, the Colombian terror group.

The possibility of a Griner-Bout trade was reported on May 13 by Tass, Russia’s state-owned news agency, and confirmed for Forbes by the source. “Currently, talks are underway on exchanging Bout for Griner,” Tass reported, citing “a source in the Public Monitoring Commission.” A second Moscow-based news outlet, Gazeta.Ru, had earlier reported a Griner-Bout exchange was in the works.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department declined to comment. Roger Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, who leads the interagency team that’s working for Griner’s release, had no comment. The same was true for Bout’s New York attorney, Steve Zissou. Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s California agent, did not respond to requests for comment.

Despite the anti-Russian fervor in Washington sparked by President Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine, the White House a month ago struck a deal to free Trevor Reed, a former Marine who had been held in a Russian prison for two years for allegedly attacking a Moscow police officer. In exchange, President Joe Biden commuted the sentence of Konstantin Yaroshenko, who was serving 20 years for conspiring to import $100 million in cocaine.

Former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, who’d been instrumental in Reed’s release, is also working on behalf of Griner’s family at their request, according to Mickey Bergman, vice president of the Richardson Center. He’s also working for the release of Paul Whelan, a former Marine detained in Moscow since 2018 on espionage charges. “The situation (as you might imagine) is sensitive,” Bergman said, declining to comment further.

Bout was a translator in the Soviet army before starting an air-freight company that transported tens of millions of arms he supplied during his heyday in the 1990s and early 2000s to sanctioned militias and rebels in conflicts throughout Africa and Asia. Soft-spoken, erudite, fluent in seven languages with an IQ of 170, Bout seemed more like a university professor than the world’s most notorious illegal arms trafficker. His 2008 arrest in Bangkok was part of a sting operation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

The U.S. government opposes the practice of wrongful detention as a bargaining chip because it represents a threat to the safety of everyone traveling, working and living abroad, a State Department official told Forbes. That disdain, however, didn’t stop the department from helping arrange the release of Reed and others.

Griner, 31, is by far the most high profile of the more than a dozen Americans detained by Russia in the last decade. That puts more pressure on the State Department, which is acutely aware that as a Black lesbian, Griner could be a target of Putin’s exclusionary politics. Since the maximum base salary in the WNBA is $228,094 — male stars can earn as much as Steph Curry’s $45 million annually — Griner and many other American women play during the WNBA off-season in Russia, where they can bring home more than $1 million. Griner has played several years for the team in Ekaterinburg.

Griner’s U.S. supporters were at first mostly silent over her plight. The government convinced them that Russia might deport her quickly only if her case did not become front-page news. Once it became clear that Russia planned to hold her, the State Department changed her status to “wrongfully detained,” opening the door to swap negotiations. Briner’s U.S. supporters have spoken out forcefully against her imprisonment.

One lingering question is whether a deal to swap Bout for Griner will get Biden’s approval. Given the president’s declaration that Putin is a “war criminal,” some on Griner’s team worry he might hesitate before freeing an infamous Russian arms trafficker.

“There’s a problem with releasing a convicted arms trafficker for Griner, whose drug possession would probably only be a fine in the U.S.,” says Shira Scheindlin, the retired federal judge who presided over the Bout trial and was required to sentence him to the 25-year mandatory minimum. “It would be better if Bout – who has already served too much time in my opinion – was exchanged for both Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan. Then there would be some moral equivalency about which few could complain.”

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedInCheck out my website

Her arrest came as Russia became increasingly isolated from the global sports community—foreign players and teams were leaving in protest over the Ukraine war, and Russian leagues were suffering.

Title:

Content: Foreign sports stars flee Russia as world shuns their teams

Darko Vojinovic/AP/File
Russia players react at the end of the 2019 Women's EuroBasket European Basketball Championship match between Russia and Sweden in Belgrade, Serbia, July 6, 2019.

Two ways to read the story

  • Quick Read
  • Deep Read ( 5 Min. )

Less than a year ago, Russia’s domestic sports leagues, like their peers across Europe, flourished with a mix of foreign and domestic players.

What a difference a war makes.

Why We Wrote This

The Ukraine war’s ramifications may not be hitting the Russian public hard, but Russian sports are suffering as foreign players and organizations boycott them.

Russian basketball, hockey, and soccer teams have been excluded from international competition since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, and star foreign players are dropping their contracts and leaving the country. U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner’s 9-year prison sentence on drug smuggling charges has not improved the atmosphere.

Russian athletes have been shut out of international sports before – from the Russian Revolution in 1917 until 1952 – and the effects were clear. “There was no way to compare our level” with that of other countries, says Nikolai Yeremenko, a leading sports journalist.

Some veteran Soviet athletes say Russia’s isolation should be taken as an opportunity to better develop Russian players. But Russian sports fans will be the biggest losers, as the quality of games drops in the absence of foreigners.

“Right now we have no foreign players in our club,” says Sergei Druzhinin, manager of the Metallurg ice hockey team in Magnitogorsk. “The level of our games ... will be dragged down.”

Less than a year ago, Russia’s domestic sports leagues, like their peers across Europe, flourished with a mix of foreign and domestic players.

What a difference a war makes.

Today, amid deepening Cold War-like tensions between the Kremlin and the West, and as WNBA star Brittney Griner faces a 9-year sentence in a Russian penal colony, Russian basketball, hockey, and soccer teams are finding themselves forced out of international competition. And many of the one-time “legionnaires” – foreign players – on whom they depend are dropping their contracts and leaving the country.

Why We Wrote This

The Ukraine war’s ramifications may not be hitting the Russian public hard, but Russian sports are suffering as foreign players and organizations boycott them.

The alienation of Russian athletes from global sports has been an ongoing saga for years, since massive doping allegations largely forced official Russia out of the Olympics. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February led most international sports federations to ban Russian teams from scheduled competitions.

But less well known is the fate of hundreds of foreign players who, like Ms. Griner, had brought their expertise to far-flung local Russian sports teams that had been developing reputations at both the national and European levels.

The war has brought all that to a grinding halt, and upended European championship hopes for Russian basketball and soccer teams. Many European and American players have decamped while the few who remain have been subjected to considerable opprobrium.

The exodus of foreign legionnaires has been the subject of considerable debate in the Russian sports media, with some arguing that it spells the end of Russia’s sports ambitions for a generation, while others claim it will give more opportunities to Russian players and boost domestic sports development.

“Not enough qualified players”

Ms. Griner, a leading player with the Urals city of Yekaterinburg’s UMMC basketball team, was arrested on Feb. 17, before the war started, and charged with possession of a small quantity of hashish oil. In August, she was sentenced to 9 years in prison, an exceedingly harsh judgement even by Russian standards, which has caused speculation that the Kremlin hopes to use her in a Cold-War-style prisoner exchange with the United States.

But her ordeal has added to the wartime chill that’s already driving foreign players out of Russia.

“Obviously if one of the best basketball players is sitting in prison, it’s going to have a very discouraging effect on all foreign players who might think of signing a contract in Russia,” says Eduard Sorokin, an independent sports expert.

“All efforts to create a situation that attracts players of the highest level to Russian sports teams have been undermined, and all the benefits ruined. It’s not to say that legal violations should be overlooked. She pleaded guilty, [but] she might have just been fined and justice satisfied with minimal punishment. Now the damage is done.”

In an extensive interview with the official RIA-Novosti agency, UMMC captain Yevgenia Belyakova, who went to Moscow to testify on Ms. Griner’s behalf, praised her as a “good person” and a “disciplined” player who did not intend to break any laws. She lamented the fact that all the team’s foreign players and its Spanish coach left in February after Ms. Griner was arrested and the team was excluded from the EuroLeague Women’s competition.

“Naturally, the situation with Brittney could not but affect our legionnaires,” she said. “[We were] a big and friendly family. We not only played together, but also spent a lot of time off the court. It’s no secret that our team was formed for the Euroleague, and victory in [the championship] was our main goal of the season.”

Evgenia Novozhenina/AP
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner (background center) listens to a verdict in a courtroom in Khimki, Russia, just outside Moscow, Aug. 4, 2022.

A similar situation pervades other sports, including hockey, where Russian teams have long been seen as a spawning ground for the NHL. The Kontinental Hockey League, which includes several non-Russian clubs, saw teams in Latvia and Finland drop out in protest of the war, and many players have followed suit.

“There are not enough qualified players to fill all Russian hockey teams; we need foreign players,” says Sergei Druzhinin, manager of the Metallurg hockey team in the Urals city of Magnitogorsk. “Right now we have no foreign players in our club. They’ve all gone. It means the level of our games, both as spectacle and professional attainment, will be dragged down.”

Some see an opportunity

Russian soccer may be taking the worst hit of all, says Nikolai Yeremenko, editor of Sovetsky Sport, a leading sports daily. “Football [soccer] has suffered more than most other sports. The money earned by leading Russian teams in [European competition] was a serious support for club budgets. But now all the high-level foreign players have left.”

“FIFA [international soccer’s governing body] made this possible by changing the rules to allow foreign players to suspend their contracts [with Russian teams] without facing any legal consequences. As a result, teams cannot plan ahead,” he says. “A player can disappear and not face any punishment. It’s already clear that the level of Russian football has deteriorated. We can no longer compare our level with the European one.”

As of early August, 37 legionnaires had left the Russian Premier League, which includes 16 clubs, and 23 new foreign players have replaced them, according to the Moscow daily Sport Express. But most of those who have left were top-rated European players, and their replacements are lesser-known players from South America and Serbia.

“A year ago, the league was replenished with players from dozens of different countries, but now there is no such wide choice. In terms of newcomers, Brazil and Serbia are in the lead – countries that have always willingly sent footballers to Russia. The difference is that before they were one of many donors, and now they are almost the only ones,” the paper said.

Some Russians, such as Soviet-era basketball legend Stanislav Yeremin, argue that the crisis should be treated as an opportunity to develop Russian sports and forge new links with countries that will still compete with Russians.

“Look forward,” Mr. Yeremin told the Sport MK newspaper. “I don’t think that we will be in Europe for at least two or three years. Therefore, we need to turn to the Russian market, or try to look for opportunities for international competitions with those countries and clubs that could still play with us. If you close yourself in, then it will be difficult.”

Russian sports have been isolated before – excluded from international competition from the Russian Revolution in 1917 until 1952.  “There was no way to compare our level, and so we were left completely outside normal development of sports” says Mr. Yeremenko. “I don’t believe in any claims that this situation can work to our advantage. Progress is only possible when the strongest compete with the strongest. Sports can’t develop under sanctions.

“It’s very hard to say what we should do now. When you have the ideology of a besieged fortress, everything gets all mixed up.”

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.

Give us your feedback

We want to hear, did we miss an angle we should have covered? Should we come back to this topic? Or just give us a rating for this story. We want to hear from you.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2022/0825/Foreign-sports-stars-flee-Russia-as-world-shuns-their-teams
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe

The situation illustrated how governments can leverage high-profile foreigners for political bargaining or as retaliation against adverse international actions.

Title:

Content: Last Updated on July 4, 2022 by BVN

S. E. Williams |

The Black lesbian feminist poet Audre Lorde once said that she wrote “for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves.”

Lorde further stated, “We’ve been taught that silence would save us, but it won’t.”

However, in the decades since Lorde penned those words many Black lesbians are no longer silent. Yet, we must ask the question, how safe are Black lesbians today? Perhaps we should ask WNBA basketball star, Brittney Griner, who is among the growing number of prominent Black lesbians in America living out loud.

Most have battle scar evidence of their struggle to find a peaceful life in a world that in many ways, still considers who they are and who they love an aberration.  And, although disrespect and dangers continue to lurk for members of the LGBTQ+ community in America, it is still safer to live here than in many other places in the world.

Unfortunately for Griner, however, she is now trapped in a country, where racism against Blacks is normalized and where the government is working to ostracize members of the LGBTQ+ community. But how different is this really from many places in America today.

Despite the spread of anti-gay sentiments in Russia and right leaning countries across Europe, Griner plays basketball internationally during the WNBA’s off season. This despite writing about her “coming out” in her 2017 autobiography, “In My Skin: My Life On and Off the Basketball Court,” which helped make her one of the most recognizable lesbians in the world.

Racism and Homophobia in Russia

For those who have not followed Griner’s fate in recent months, she was arrested on drug charges in Russia on February 17. Her arrest came just days after a Russian court suspended a lawsuit (February 11) intended to shut down its LGBT Network—the country’s most powerful gay rights organization—for  purportedly spreading gay views, which of course, could farcically include anything from a view out one’s window of gay people walking down the street, to realistically include gay people advocating for the same rights to live and love as they choose like any other Russian.

Identifying as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender or queer has been legal in Russia since 1993 (how enlightened) however in 2013 under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, the nation adopted what’s been called the “gay propaganda” law that made it illegal to speak words related to the LGBTQ+ community around minors.

Racism and homophobia in America

Before Russia took such action, America was already contriving to do the same.

There has been much criticism recently of Florida’s recently enacted Parental Rights in Education Bill signed into law in April that appeared to follow Russia’s lead. But, it was revealed by The Center for Media and Democracy (Center), a nonprofit that tracks the work of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), that the Parental Rights Amendment was actually listed under its “Education Task Force and included in the 1995 ALEC Sourcebook of American State Legislation.

Also, according to the Center, although ALEC has tried to distance itself from this controversial legislation since 2011, it is difficult to identify any efforts to advocate against the current movement to codify this legislative into law across the country.

ALEC is a nonprofit organization of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives that drafts models of legislation for distribution and adoption by conservative legislatures around the country and for decades has worked to pull America toward extremism.

Sadly, Florida’s recent law is just the tip of the iceberg. Anti LGBTQ+ toxicity is spreading quickly in America. Red states from Ohio to Texas to Indiana to Colorado to Wyoming to South Dakota, Iowa, Utah and beyond   have pushed to pass similar bills. In some instances state’s were only prevented from doing so by Democratic legislators who held the line against Republican, anti-gay governors seeking to work their will.

As we watch and point with deserved derision and criticism, the unfolding fate of Griner in Russia, Time magazine provided a chilling reminder in mid-May, of what is possible in America regarding the welfare of LGBTQ+ citizens. It recalled the successful work of  Florida’s Johns Committee—a state legislative committee that launched an LGBTQ+ purge in the late 1950s rooted in racism, homophobia, and anti-communism.

Beginning in 1957 and continuing through 1963 the Florida legislative committee persecuted and intimidated those suspected of being gay at state universities as part of the state’s resistance to federally sanctioned school desegregation in response to the 1954 Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court decision.

According to Time, the committee’s original goal was to uncover all communists believed to be behind desegregation. Not surprisingly since it was based on a false premise, that mission failed. This subsequently compelled the committee to find another group to scapegoat—gays and lesbians. This eventually led to a report popularly known as “The Purple Pamphlet”( because of its sensational and explicit content), that highlighted “the extent of infiltration into agencies supported by state funds by practicing homosexuals.”

By1965, hundreds of Floridians were prosecuted and charged because of their sexuality. Frighteningly, not unlike the experiences of Griner in Russia today, Florida interrogations were reportedly conducted in privacy and even worse, the accused were denied legal counsel.

A need to raise our collective voices

Today, as Griner languishes in a Russian prison—most assuredly because she is Black and a lesbian who may or may not have committed a minor drug infraction in a racist, homophobic country —,there are legitimate concerns about her safety.  As her detention days turn into weeks and weeks into months, there is little doubt it is up to all of us, Black women, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those who support and validate our right to exist and every American committed to human rights to pressure the federal government to bring her home. We must raise our collective voices to keep Griner’s freedom at the forefront of America’s political consciousness.

Audre Lorde lamented about the fate of Black lesbians in her seminal work the Black Unicorn where she noted “’The black unicorn was mistaken for a shadow or symbol and taken through a cold country…, ” She further spoke to the power of Black women/lesbian strength and determination to live their truth stating,  “the Black unicorn is unrelenting.” I pray this perceived power is enough to sustain Griner (her wife and loved ones) in the days ahead.

In concluding her poem Lorde also reminded all of us that although the metaphorical Black unicorn is empowered, as we are witnessing today decades after Lorde put pen to paper on this issue, as it relates to Griner, “the Black unicorn is not free.”

Raise your voice to advocate for Griner’s freedom by calling the U.S. Department of State at 1-202-647-4000 and the White House at 202-456-1111 to advocate for Griner’s release. Remember, “Silence is complicity.”

Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.

S.E. Williams

Stephanie Williams is executive editor of the IE Voice and Black Voice News. A longtime champion for civil rights and justice in all its forms, she is also an advocate for government transparency and committed to ferreting out and exposing government corruption. Stephanie has received awards for her investigative reporting and for her weekly column, Keeping it Real. Contact Stephanie with tips, comments. or concerns at myopinion@ievoice.com.

- **Griner’s Experience in Russian Detention:**
  Griner endured 294 days in Russian prison conditions that are known to be harsh and unfamiliar, especially for Americans.

As a Black, gay woman, she faced particularly daunting challenges in an environment lacking diversity or support for minorities.

Friends and supporters noted the toll the incarceration took on her, but also her remarkable resilience and ability to hold on to hope.

- **American Government’s Response:**
  Griner’s detention became a cause célèbre in the U.S., spurring advocacy from politicians, the public, and celebrities.

The American government eventually negotiated her release via a high-profile prisoner swap with Russia, exchanging Griner for Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms dealer.

This exchange was controversial, reflecting both the value placed on celebrity lives in public discourse and the tough choices facing diplomats.

- **Aftermath and Return Home:**
  Upon her release and return to the U.S., Griner faced a challenging adjustment period.

The ordeal left profound emotional scars, yet she demonstrated joy and gratitude to be reunited with her loved ones and back on the court.

Her experience became emblematic of larger issues: the vulnerabilities of athletes—especially women and minorities—abroad, the politicization of sports, and America’s ongoing struggles with racism and homophobia.

- **Broader Implications:**
  Griner’s story exposes broader systemic inequities in women’s sports (notably pay disparities), and the precarious position of LGBTQ and Black athletes on the global stage.

It urges us to reflect on how governments manipulate celebrity for political ends and underscores the necessity for raising collective voices against injustice—borrowing from figures like Audre Lorde who advocated speaking truth to power.

These events remind us that, beyond the headlines, individual lives are deeply affected by the intersection of politics, identity, and global sport.

Griner’s story is a case study in how international power struggles put the most vulnerable—sometimes the brightest stars—in the crosshairs.

Below are summarized nuggets of information focusing on Brittney Griner’s story, as extracted from the provided text:

---

**Summary: Brittney Griner’s Detention, Political Context, and Aftermath**

- **Brittney Griner’s Detention and Incarceration:**
  - Brittney Griner, an American professional basketball player, was detained in Russia in 2022 after Russian authorities found a small amount of cannabis oil in her luggage.

Title:

Content: Brittney Greiner announced the release of her book about prison in Russia
Comments
Popular American basketball player Brittney Greiner, who played in the Russian Federation for UMMC, told about the release of her autobiography “Homecoming ”.
Grainer ’ s book is about her incarceration in a Russian prison.
"The first copy of 'Return Home' has just come out in print.
Someone already pre-ordered to get a copy? ” wrote Greiner on his page in social networks.
Photo: From Brittney Greiner's personal archive
Brittney was jailed in February 2022 for transporting banned substances.
The basketball player was released as part of the prisoner exchange between Russia and the United States, which took place in December 2022.
Greiner's presentation before the Women's National Basketball Association All-Star Game:
Materials on the topic
He was on drugs and decided to speak up.
What will Greiner's book be about?
Comments

- She was arrested at a Moscow airport, charged with drug smuggling and possession, and subsequently incarcerated in a Russian penal colony.

- Griner’s detention was accompanied by extensive media coverage and marked by her vulnerable situation as a Black, openly gay woman in a foreign prison system known for strict conditions.

- **Political Implications & Use as a Political Pawn:**
  - Griner’s imprisonment became not just a legal issue, but a deeply politicized event.

Her status as a high-profile American sports figure, combined with the tense U.S.-Russia relations (especially after the Russian invasion of Ukraine), positioned her as a pawn in larger geopolitical struggles.

- Her release became a negotiation point, highlighting how governments can leverage the detention of celebrities for political bargaining, public opinion, and diplomatic gains.

- **Prisoner Swap and Public Reaction:**
  - The culmination of Griner’s ordeal was a high-profile prisoner exchange.

Russia released Griner in exchange for Viktor Bout, a notorious Russian arms dealer held in the U.S.
  - Footage of the swap was released showing Griner being told by her Russian escort "you are going home to the United States, so everything will be fine."

Title:

Content: 08 December 2022, 21: 42
The first footage of the exchange of Booth for an American Greiner
There was a video of the exchange of Russian Viktor Bout to American Brittney Greiner
Read 360tv in
There were the first shots of the exchange of Victor Bout for American basketball player Brittney Greiner.
The plane with a Russian on board has already crossed the border of Russia and is now heading to Moscow.
The footage shows how the girl puts things together, signs documents and leaves prison.
Advertisement
“Will you come here again?
Well done!
Come, ” said an employee of the correctional colony in Mordovia.
Advertisement
The basketball player on the plane was asked what emotions she felt.
“Happiness, ” she said.
Greiner said she was ready to fly.
But she didn ’ t know exactly where she was going.
The escort told her that she was going home to the United States, “so everything will be fine. ”
The exchange took place at Abu Dhabi Airport.
Victor Booth was escorted to the plane.
His condition was checked by doctors on board.
"Thank you very much. <... > Directly taken from the cell, with all the things sent.
Then seven hours to Manchester and seven hours from Manchester. <... > I tried every year to do blood tests and see that everything was fine, "he said.
Booth noted that the whole situation is rather strange.
During the flight, he called his mother.
“Mommy, hello!
They're just gonna refuel, they're all good, Mom, don't worry, it's okay.
I love you very much. <... > Don ’ t worry, everything is fine, I will tell you when I meet you, ” the Russian said with a smile on his face and asked to transfer the phone to his wife.
On Thursday, December 8, it became known that the Russian Foreign Ministry achieved the exchange of Bout for serving time for drug smuggling American Brittney Greiner.
Residents of Russia and other countries sent messages congratulating Victor on his release and return to his homeland.
Advertisement
Advertisement

- The United States’ decision to exchange Bout for Griner sparked debate; some viewed it as a necessary step to save an American citizen, while others criticized the deal as lopsided, given Bout’s criminal history.

- **U.S. Efforts to Secure Her Release:**
  - The American government’s campaign for Griner’s freedom was sustained and high-profile, involving diplomatic channels, media advocacy, pressure from civil rights and sports organizations, and direct negotiations with Russia.

- Griner’s family, her WNBA team, and prominent activists kept her case in the media—and on the agenda of U.S. officials—highlighting both humanitarian concerns and the gender/race dynamics at play.

- **Griner’s Post-Release Experience:**
  - Upon her return, Griner expressed immense relief and gratitude, embracing her family and publicly acknowledging the trauma of her experience.

- Her transition back into American life involved personal readjustment, therapy, and a vocal intention to support others wrongfully detained abroad.

- Griner has since announced the release of a book about her experience in Russian prison, aiming to shed light on the realities of political detention, raise awareness about other Americans held abroad, and contribute to broader discussions about gender and race in sport and society.

---

**Takeaways:**
Brittney Griner’s story illustrates the dangerous intersections of sports, gender, sexuality, race, and international politics.

Her plight underscores how female athletes—especially women of color—can be uniquely vulnerable targets for political maneuvering, and how sports figures can become unwilling actors in geopolitical power plays.

Title:

Content: Distant forest
Blog
“How much courage does it take to speak in front of people who can do almost anything in our country? ”
Babikov stood up for Federmesser
The biathlete is also against the amendments of the state Duma to the law “On psychiatric care ”.
The off-season of the world champion in biathlon Anton Babikov is unusual: he did not get into the national team and prepares for the season on his own, together with two Alexander – Loginov and Povarnitsyn.
At the same time, Babikov finds time on the social agenda - delves into and confidently states the position (not for the first time).
He was one of the first to post a story with a frame from the State Duma: a discussion of the bill with the participation of Anna (Nyuta) Federmesser, the founder of the hospice aid fund “Vera ”.
Interest in such a topic is extremely atypical for a Russian athlete.
We talked about this with Anton, who not only observes from the outside, but also helps the fund.
First, about the essence of the bill for those who do not know.
Psychoneurological boarding school (PNI) is an institution in which people with mental disabilities who need care are permanently or temporarily: elderly, graduates of orphanages or children.
Important: PNI is not a psychiatric clinic, so far the staff there had no authority to restrict movement, lock, bind, forcibly give medicines.
Nyuta Federmesser in recent years has been closely involved in the topic of PNI.
She lived in one of the boarding schools for nine days and this spring reported that seven children died of exhaustion in the Penitentiary No. 10 of St. Petersburg.
Against this background, the State Duma Committee on Health Protection discussed amendments to the federal law “On psychiatric care ”.
However, the reform of the PNI did not go in the direction that Federmesser and other public figures expected.
Article 38 will be removed from the law, which obliges the state to create an independent service for the protection of the rights of patients in medical organizations.
This article allowed public organizations to receive complaints from patients of the PNI, to send them to the prosecutor's office or the court.
Managers and medical staff have the authority to take away the guests ’ phones, limit their social circle, complicate the process of discharge from the PNI.
An open letter to Vladimir Putin demanding a veto on amendments to the law “On psychiatric care ” was signed by more than 43 thousand people.
The State Duma Committee approved the amendments in three readings, they were adopted by the Federation Council.
Here is Federmesser ’ s emotional speech at the first reading of the amendments in the State Duma Committee.
She is opposed by Alexander Zhukov, the former head of the ROC, and now its honorary president and first deputy chairman of the State Duma.
Zhukov: If you want that as 30 years did not work 38th article, and even further did not work...
FEDERMESSER: We suggest that we postpone this until autumn.
Well, no one's after you.
It really is the fate of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people.
And you and me, too.
ZHUKOV: So this law is adopted exclusively in the interests of patients just.
Federmesser: No.
Otherwise, you are just now saying that 30,000 people who signed a letter to the president are signing a letter against their interests and the interests of their seriously ill relatives.
Zhukov: They sign what you explained to them, which does not always coincide with what is written in the law.
FEDERMESSER: Please read the text of the letter.
What did we explain to them?
If, for the sake of decency, one of you would abstain...
You are the legislative branch, and you think – absolutely! – that you should depend on the executive branch.
How is it possible?
The Committee proceeded to vote, the amendments were adopted.
Federmesser: I once again thank Alexander Dmitrievich and Badma Nikolaevich (Deputy Bashankayev – Sports.ru) for the fact that you spent time on us.
And I think that I will no longer deal with federal legislation at all, because we all – by your efforts – live in a country where laws are written and not respected.
Where laws are voted – crazy at all – because you think they won ’ t affect you and your families.
Zhukov: Anna Konstantinovna....
I am so ashamed of this thought!
Terribly shameful!
And now – a monologue by Anton Babikov on an important topic
* * *
– Ideally, the topic of hospices and PNI should be interested in everyone.
It is good when the problem is familiar even before it affects you or your loved ones.
It can touch anyone at all.
Even in Ufa, I worked with charitable foundations.
Then I learned from good people about the Vera Foundation (it helps terminally ill people - Sports.ru) and began to help them as much as possible.
A lot of people think that helping is just giving money.
But there are a lot of ways that are not related to finance, it only takes time and desire.
Now I live in Moscow, there are chat rooms of volunteers.
Sometimes someone arrives, for example, for treatment, and you need to meet or take on a tour.
In fact, we have more free time than we think.
If you have a couple of hours, it ’ s better to do something useful to someone than just hang out over a movie, although I love movies too.
But the feeling that you helped someone, nothing compares to anything.
I don ’ t like to talk about it and I don ’ t think I ’ m doing anything special.
I could and would like to help more.
Of course, I didn ’ t say I was playing sports.
Who the hell am I?
Among those who help foundations, there are people with much cooler merits.
I like that in this environment it doesn't matter who you are.
More importantly, what you are.
Nyuta Federmesser is an amazing person.
I read her book “Correspondence with everyone ” about what life in hospice is like, how charity works in general.
It is impossible to argue with the fact that Nyuta understands the topic and understands what he stands for.
Therefore, when I saw what had happened in the State Duma, I had no doubt whether it was worth it to post it at home or not.
Can you imagine how much courage and sincerity it takes to speak in front of people who in our country can almost everything?
Do you think someone who is not 100% sure of what they are doing?
Some subscribers wrote to me that Nyuta is a con artist.
I think the scammer will just look at how the neighbor voted, and do the same.
To object, you need an iron character.
Only for this one can she be respected.
There is nothing personal, we are not familiar with Nyuta, and I only saw Alexander Dmitrievich Zhukov a couple of times at events when he was still president of the Russian Olympic Committee.
None of them know exactly who I am.
I was surprised that my story was so popular.
This story was viewed by many more people than usual in my profile – for example, about training.
So Nyuta's words hurt a lot of people.
Perhaps among these people will be those who are able to really influence the situation.
That was my goal.
Some have told me that I have disappointed them.
Like, they believed that I was a thinking athlete, but it turned out that I was not.
I am not arguing here, everyone has the right to an opinion.
But my opinion about Nyuta, the fund and the reform of the PNI is formed.
I have enough information, and I don't seem to be mistaken.
Perhaps I still hope that a miracle will happen and the amendments to the law on PNI will not be adopted.
If you do not believe that one person can change something, how do you even live?
“The changes in the world are always catastrophic for ordinary people. ”
Interview with Anton Babikov, where biathlon is not the main thing
Photo: instagram / nuikartoshkanyuta _ federmesserRIA Novosti / Alexey Filippov

Her resilience and advocacy following her release continue to impact conversations around justice and the politicization of celebrity.

**Brittney Griner’s Detention in Russia: Sport, Gender, and Geopolitics Intersect**

**Arrest and Imprisonment:**
Brittney Griner, the American professional basketball player, was detained in Russia in February 2022 after authorities found cannabis oil cartridges in her luggage at a Moscow airport.

Title:

Content: American basketball player Grainer has written a book about her imprisonment in Russia.
Michael Jordan sports shoes sold for a record $2.2 million
American basketball player Grainer has written a book about her imprisonment in Russia.
NEW YORK (AFP) - Sotheby ’ s on Tuesday announced the sale of NBA legend Michael Jordan ’ s sneakers in his last championship final with the Chicago Bulls in 1998 for a record $2.2 million.
At this price, the former Bulls star confirms his reputation as the king of sportswear auctions that are bought in order to keep them in a sports collection, breaking his record for sneakers ($1.4 million in 2021).
He holds the record for the most expensive shirt ($10.1 million in September 2022).
Jordan wore the black and red Air Jordan 13 shoe in the second game of the final round, at Salt Lake City Stadium, an episode narrated in the successful documentary The Last Dance released in 2020 on Netflix and ESPN.
Although the stadium stands were full of Utah Jazz fans, the Bulls won 93-88 thanks to Jordan's 37 points.
Give me a shoe.
Shotheby's estimated the price of the shoes between $2 million and $4 million, pointing out that Jordan gave the shoes after the game to one of the people collecting balls, but the latter is no longer the owner at the moment of sale.
Showbiz did not immediately disclose any information about the seller or buyer.
Basketball star Britney Grainer said on Tuesday she was preparing a book about her 10-month imprisonment in Russia until December, when she was released after a prisoner exchange between Moscow and Washington.
The book, whose name is not yet known, is due to be published in 2024, according to Alfred A.
Britney Grainer describes a harsh, surreal experience and terrifying aspects of everyday life in Russia.One of the most prominent LGBT people, Grainer was arrested for drug trafficking when she arrived in Russia in February 2022 to play for the Yekaterinburg team at the end of the NFL season, a common practice among women basketball players. She was released after lengthy negotiations in exchange for the release of Russian arms dealer Victor Bout who was serving a 25-year sentence in the United States.Grainer said her arrest was the beginning of an unimaginable period in my life, so I wasn ’ t ready to talk about it until then.
The only reason I went to Russia for my job was to make my wife, family and colleagues proud of me.
SHARE

She played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg team, like many WNBA players seeking higher foreign salaries during the American off-season.

Title:

Content: 10 months in prison in Russia.
American basketball player releases book on 'cruel' memoirs
SPORTS
Copy Link https: / / www.rt.com / v421
Basketball player Britney Grainer announced on Tuesday that she is preparing a book about her 10-month imprisonment in Russia until December 2023, after being released in an exchange deal between Moscow and Washington.
Britney Grainer said: “That day in February was the beginning of an incomprehensible period in my life, and I ’ m now ready to share it.
The main reason I returned to Russia at the time was that I wanted my wife (lesbian), family and colleagues to be proud of me.
After 10 very difficult months behind bars, I am grateful that I have been rescued and that I am at home.
Readers will listen to my story and understand why I am so grateful for the support of people from all over the world. ”
The book of the American national team player and the UMMC team from the Russian city of Yekaterinburg is scheduled to be published in the spring of 2024.
In February 2022, Britney Grainer was detained at Moscow ’ s Sheremetyevo International Airport on charges of attempting to smuggle drugs into Russia.
The Moscow District Court of Khimki sentenced the American basketball player to 9.5 years in prison and a fine of 1 million rubles (about $20,000) after she was convicted of smuggling and keeping drugs – hashish oil.
Britney Greiner, who was detained in Russia from February to December 2023, was released in an exchange deal with Russian businessman Viktor Bout, and the exchange took place at Abu Dhabi airport, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Britney Grainer, 32, won the 2014 Basketball World Cup in Turkey, the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the 2018 World Cup in Spain and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Prior to her arrest, she played for the UMMC Ekaterinburg basketball team from the Russian city of Yekaterinburg.
Source:
Agree.
This website uses cookies. You can read the terms of use to activate this feature by clicking here

Griner described the arrest as the start of an “incomprehensible period” in her life.

**Her Experience in the Russian Penitentiary System:**
Griner spent 10 months in a Russian prison, enduring harsh conditions.

While detailed information from her yet-to-be-released book is forthcoming (due out in 2024), initial statements suggest Griner will share her emotional journey, the stresses of incarceration, the isolation faced—particularly as a Black, openly gay American woman in a country with anti-LGBTQ+ policies—and what it took to mentally and physically survive.

The trauma of separation from her wife, family, and community is a key theme.

**Political Implications:**
Griner’s arrest came at a time of heightened political tensions between the United States and Russia, especially following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Title:

Content: Putin Arrests Senior Intelligence Officers
Is there an internal coup in Russia?
0.
The British newspaper “The Times ” reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin, has arrested a number of senior officers within the Russian intelligence service FSB.
Putin arrests top intelligence officers
The head of Russian intelligence has been placed under house arrest, a sign that President Putin is seeking to blame the security services for the faltering invasion of Ukraine.
The Times said Sergei Beseda, head of the FSB ’ s foreign intelligence branch, was arrested along with his deputy, Anatoly Bolyukh.
According to a leading expert in the Russian security services.
Andrei Soldatov, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Agentura, an investigative website that monitors Russia ’ s Federal Security Service and other agencies, said.
Sources within the Federal Security Service confirmed the detention of the two men.
Vladimir Osishkin, an exiled Russian human rights activist, confirmed the arrests.
He added that FSB officers conducted searches at more than 20 addresses around Moscow of colleagues suspected of having contacts with journalists.
Osishkin stated that the official basis for conducting these searches is to charge the detainees with embezzling funds intended for subversive activities in Ukraine.
But he said the real reason was that they were providing “unreliable, incomplete and partly false information about the political situation in Ukraine. ”
It might interest you, too.
"The arrest of the intelligence chief underscores Putin's growing anger at his intelligence services, which he believes have provided false information about the situation in Ukraine," Soldatov told The Times, adding that Putin "finally realized that he had been misled."
Beseda, 68, is the head of Russia ’ s Fifth Service intelligence branch and is in charge of intelligence gathering in Ukraine.
Bolyukh, 66, is in charge of the operational information department, one of the departments of the 5th arrondissement.
There are reports that several military commanders have been dismissed.
The head of the Ukrainian Security Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said on Thursday that "about eight leaders" of Russia had been sacked.
The attack on Ukraine began on February 24.
Soldatov told the newspaper that this week it was revealed that the final reports issued by the Federal Security Office on Ukraine in the run-up to the war.
It was “simply untrue. ”
This is one of the reasons why the Russians were unable to achieve what they were aiming for as planned.
He said their assessments of Ukrainian popular support for the Russian attack and the extent of the country ’ s resistance were “terribly wrong. ”
London has become a graveyard for the riches of the rich Russians.
In another context, the British capital has turned into a graveyard of the wealth of the rich Russians, or what the Western media calls “Putin ’ s oligarchy. ”
The capital of the fog has been a favorite destination for Russian businessmen, to invest and buy luxury real estate.
Gradually, the list of businessmen covered by the British sanctions expands from confiscation of money and property, to prohibition of entry into the country and prosecution.
The British Foreign Office has announced the list of Russian individuals who have been sanctioned by the government over the war in Ukraine.
These are seven of the richest Russian businessmen who have property or financial investments in Britain or have financial assets passing through the financial district of London.
In total, 18 Russian businessmen have been sanctioned by the UK.
The British Foreign Office justified its decision that these figures are one of the long and important arms with which Russian President Vladimir Putin moves, or that they belong to the narrow circle of the president.
(Source: The Times – Translated by Homeland)
READ ALSO
You might like it, too.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience.
We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.
Accept Read More

Many believe her status made her a political pawn, with the Russian government leveraging her high-profile case to exert diplomatic pressure and extract concessions.

The intersection of sports, gender, race, and politics became clear: a Black lesbian athlete became a symbol and a bargaining chip in a global standoff.

**American Government's Response:**
The U.S. government, facing public outcry and advocacy from athletes, LGBTQ+ communities, and civil rights organizations, worked intensively for her release.

The administration labeled her "wrongfully detained," engaged in negotiations, and faced criticism both for the length of her detention and for prioritizing her case over others.

**The Prisoner Swap:**
In December 2022, after complex diplomatic negotiations, Griner was released in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The swap underscored the high stakes and moral complexities in such international dealings.

Title:

Content: Russia ’ s Rostec to resume production of upgraded A-50 radar aircraft (Video)
Science and Technology
Russian A-50 Radar Reconnaissance and Early Warning Aircraft
Copy Link https: / / en.rt.com / x3e6
Russia ’ s Rostec Corporation has announced that it will resume production of upgraded A-50 aircraft for radar reconnaissance and early warning.
On the subject, the head of the enterprise, Sergei Chemezov, said: "Rostec is resuming production of A-50 aircraft, of course there is a need for these aircraft, and we will manufacture them.
"The aircraft is not only necessary for our military, but it is very well needed for export to other countries."
Some reports in the fall of 2023 indicated that Russia was upgrading another of its A-50 aircraft to A-50U level, expanding the aircraft ’ s ability to detect targets and provide data on the means necessary to deal with those targets, and that the modernization work was being run by Vega and Pereyev, the former developing the aircraft ’ s electronics, and the latter modernizing the aircraft itself.
According to the information available, the Russian A-50 aircraft actively contributed to the special military operation, and using its information, the S-400 anti-aircraft systems managed to shoot down 24 aircraft of the Ukrainian armed forces in just five days.
The A-50 is a modified version of the Il-76, equipped with radars that can detect air targets at a distance of up to 600 km, monitor ground targets at a distance of up to 300 km, and allow the equipment to track up to 300 targets at a time, and send target information to warplanes and air defense systems.
The aircraft ’ s capabilities have been developed to detect low-flying air targets, including helicopters and winged missiles, even in electronic jamming conditions.
Source: Rossiyskaya Gazeta
Agree.
This website uses cookies. You can read the terms of use to activate this feature by clicking here

It also reignited debates on the value assigned to different detainees, as former US Marine Paul Whelan remained imprisoned.

**After her Release:**
Upon her return, Griner expressed profound gratitude for public support.

Reintegrating into life in America involved processing trauma, rejoining her loved ones, and resuming her basketball career.

She later announced her memoir, hoping to humanize her ordeal and amplify awareness about Americans detained abroad.

**Conclusion:**
Griner’s story reveals the vulnerability of high-profile athletes—especially women, and doubly so for Black and LGBTQ+ individuals—within the crossfire of international politics.

Title:

Content: My channel
* Drag categories can be customized sorting
Recover Default OK
Setup
Alert
Russian, Belarusian athletes banned from Beijing in winter
UN condemns Russia case and China abstains: the pressure situation is more complicated
Speeches on the sidelines / jumpers take on heavy tasks alone
Ja Morant, a 6-foot-3 organizational guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, is the most talked about figure in the NBA.
He has been the club's signature since October 23, 2019, and will be the name of the game for the foreseeable future.
On February 26, the Grizzlies played in Chicago, Illinois. The 22-year-old Morant played 36 minutes and 2 seconds, scoring a career-high 46 points. On February 28, he returned to Tennessee and won 118 – 105.
He played 34 minutes and 20 seconds, setting a career high 52 points record, scoring more than the total of 6 substitute teammates; scoring 23 points in the first half of the game, scoring the highest points of both teams in the first quarter, second quarter and fourth quarter; shooting 22 times from 30 shots, shooting 73.3% from the field, shooting 4 times from the 3-point range, scoring 100% from the field goal, and 7 penalties 4 hits, as well as 7 baskets and 2 assists.
Dejounte Murray, the 25-year-old organization guard for the San Antonio Spurs, played 34 minutes and 30 seconds, shooting 8 times on 20 shots, shooting 40% from the field, shooting 1 shot from 3 points, shooting 25% from the field, and shooting 5 penalties 4 hits, as well as 3 rebounds and 8 assists 3 steals.
Morant is the NBA ’ s 2019 draft pick and the winner of the 2019 – 20 season ’ s rookie award. On the 28th, the Grizzlies started a two-game winning streak in the second half of the regular season.
Personally, this is the third time the Grizzlies and Spurs have faced each other this season. On December 31, 2021, at home, the Grizzlies defeated their opponents 118 – 105, with Morant contributing 30 points.
On January 26 this year, on the road, the Grizzlies defeated their opponents 118 – 110, and Morant scored 41 points on the upper floors.
In the big leagues where talent is scarce, Morant ’ s amazing bouncing and blocking is attracting more and more fans ’ attention. On January 9, Los Angeles, Lakers starting point guard Avery Bradley was on the front court when he was chased by Morant and jumped up, blocking and grabbing the ball with both hands in the air (Chase Down Block). This unexpectedly vacated defensive skill has been on the rise this regular season, compared to the projectile fast watch of Stephen Curry, the 6-foot-2 organizational guard of the Golden State Warriors.
Morant 's current explosiveness and resistance, straight to the peak of the 2010-11 season of Ross (Derrick Rose); Rose, 6 feet 2 inches, was the Chicago Bulls' organizational guard at that time, averaged 37.4 minutes, scored 25 points, shot 44.5%, shot 33.2%, shot 33.2%, and 4.1 cricket 7.7 Assists 1 interception and 0.6 hot pot.
Morant's 6-foot-7 arm span and dryland pull-out stand jump of 44 inches is higher than the 42-inch mark of Lakers starting guard Russell Westbrook, second only to the 48-inch mark of the Bulls' 6-foot-6 legendary scoring guard Michael Jordan.
The average height of a major league player is 28 inches.
The game is more fun for the players and more fun for the players.
Lakers Spurs Chicago
The last one.
Tennis / Three Organizations Boycott Russian Novosibirsk King Medvev ’ s Tragedy “Stateless ”
The next one.
Tennis / Tapping Russian rival Ukrainian woman donates prize money to the front line army
Extended reading
Super-popular
More >