Brittney Griner, a professional American basketball player, was detained in Russia in 2022 for possessing cannabis oil in her luggage, and her detention was extended several times, with her trial resuming on July 7, 2022.

Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court, but her detention is seen as a political move, with many considering her a political pawn in US-Russia relations.

The Biden administration was under pressure to secure Griner's release, with Griner's wife and agent calling on the President to act with urgency to free her.

The US government considered Griner "wrongfully detained" by Russia, and her detention was tied to geopolitical tensions over the Ukraine war.

Griner's case sparked concerns about the treatment of American citizens in Russia, particularly those from marginalized communities, with some warning that she may face challenges due to her race and orientation.

The US government warned Americans not to travel to Russia due to the risk of being targeted for arrest and used as leverage for prisoner swaps.

Griner's detention highlighted the issue of WNBA pay disparity, as well as concerns about LGBTQ rights, with many calling for increased efforts to support Griner and other American citizens detained abroad.

The Russian government denied that Griner's case was politically motivated, citing the country's laws against drug possession, but many believed that her detention was a means of exerting pressure on the US government.

The US and Russian governments discussed a prisoner swap for Griner, with the US offering to exchange Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, for her release, and Griner was eventually released in a prisoner swap in December 2022.

Griner's release was seen as a significant development in US-Russia relations, with some hailing it as a diplomatic victory for the Biden administration.

However, others criticized the prisoner swap, arguing that it set a dangerous precedent for future dealings with Russia and other countries.

After her release, Griner returned to the US and was reunited with her family, with many celebrating her freedom and calling for increased support for American citizens detained abroad.

Griner's experiences in the Russian penitentiary system were widely reported, with many expressing concern about the conditions she faced and the impact on her physical and mental health.

The American government's efforts to free Griner were widely scrutinized, with some criticizing the Biden administration for not doing enough to secure her release earlier.

Despite the challenges she faced, Griner's case brought attention to the issue of American citizens detained abroad and the need for increased support and advocacy for their release.

Griner was sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison for cannabis possession, a sentence that was later upheld by a Russian court.

Griner was arrested in February 2022 for possessing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's airport, and was subsequently transferred to a penal colony in Mordovia.

The conditions in the Russian penal colony were inhumane, and Griner had to adapt to a new and traumatic environment.

Griner's experience in the Russian prison was stressful, and she had to find ways to stay strong and cope with the harsh conditions.

She even had to cut her hair due to the cold weather, as she feared her dreadlocks would freeze during the Russian winter.

Griner was prescribed medical marijuana in the United States, but this was not taken into account during her trial in Russia.

The Russian prison was very cold, and Griner got cold and chilled after washing her hair, making her daily life even more difficult.

Griner had abandoned hope of an early release and was preparing for the worst in her final weeks in prison.

The US government delivered on its promise to get Griner back, and she was released from Russian prison before the New Year.

Griner's life was difficult in the Russian penal colony, where she was imprisoned for 10 months.

Griner was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of a prisoner swap, a deal that was signed off on by President Biden in the UAE.

The prisoner swap was a significant diplomatic effort, and Griner's release was announced by President Joe Biden.

Griner faced extreme danger as a gay Black woman in the Russian penal system, and her release was celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community.

Griner returned to the US on December 9 and landed at a Texas airbase, where she was reunited with her family.

Griner's wife, Cherelle, expressed gratitude for her release and had been advocating for her freedom throughout her detention.

Griner's detention and imprisonment had significant political implications, and her case was closely watched by the US government and human rights organizations.

The US government had offered to release Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner's release, a deal that was eventually accepted by Russia.

Griner's release was seen as a major diplomatic victory for the US, and it marked the end of a long and difficult ordeal for her and her family.

The UAE helped secure Brittney Griner's release from Russia by participating in the US-Russia prisoner exchange, which included the exchange of Victor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, for Griner.

UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan played a key role in facilitating the transfer, which was negotiated directly between US and Russian officials.

The prisoner swap was facilitated by the UAE, with the country's ambassador to the US helping to coordinate details on the American side.

The UAE hosted the prisoner swap, which traded Griner for Viktor Bout, and President Joe Biden signed off on the trade.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia mediated the prisoner swap between the US and Russia, with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman leading the mediation efforts.

The prisoner swap occurred at Abu Dhabi airport, where Griner was exchanged for Bout, and US President Joe Biden announced Griner's release.

The UAE assisted in the US-Russia diplomatic effort, which involved the exchange of US and Russian citizens, and Biden thanked the UAE for their help.

The UAE's role in facilitating the prisoner swap was confirmed by Biden, who thanked the UAE for its role in securing Griner's release.

The mediation efforts were joint UAE-Saudi, and the UAE expressed gratitude to the US and Russia for their cooperation in the prisoner swap.

The prisoner swap reflected the strong friendship between the UAE, the US, and Russia, and promoted dialogue between the US and Russia.

The UAE's facilitation of the prisoner swap has implications for US-Russia relations, which have been tense due to the war in Ukraine.

The prisoner swap marks a rare instance of US-Russia common ground since the Ukraine invasion, but it is not evidence of a larger thaw in US-Russia relations.

The US had offered to free Bout in exchange for Griner and Paul Whelan, another US citizen who remains imprisoned in Russia, but Russia only agreed to release Griner.

The deal was met with criticism for excluding Paul Whelan, who has been jailed in Russia for years, and Biden has vowed to continue efforts to free Whelan.

Griner was detained in Russia for 294 days and was sentenced to 9 years in prison for drug charges before being released in the prisoner swap.

Griner's release was a result of months of efforts by the US government to secure her freedom, and Biden spent months trying to save Griner.

The US government deemed Brittney Griner's detention as wrongful and considered her a political pawn, which guided their efforts to secure her release.

The Biden administration assigned diplomats to work on Griner's release and prioritized her case alongside other wrongfully detained Americans.

President Biden personally prioritized Griner's release and directed his national security team to stay in regular contact with her family.

The US government used all available methods to bring Griner back home, including negotiating with Russia for her release.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken communicated with Russia to facilitate Griner's release and considered her case a top priority.

The US government proposed a deal to release Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, another wrongfully detained American, in exchange for Russian citizens held in US prisons.

The Biden administration worked aggressively to bring Griner home and contacted her family regularly to update them on the progress.

President Biden signed off on a prisoner swap for Brittney Griner, which ultimately led to her release in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The US government's efforts to support Griner included submitting proposals to Russia for her release and engaging in repeated communication with Russian officials.

The National Security Council sought ways to secure Griner's release, and the State Department handled her release efforts.

Forty advocacy groups praised the Biden administration's efforts to free Griner, demonstrating the widespread support for her release.

The US government's classification of Griner as "wrongfully detained" since April 29 emphasized the urgency of her situation and guided their actions.

President Biden received a handwritten letter from Brittney Griner asking for help and reassured her of his commitment to securing her release.

The White House worked to secure Griner's release as soon as possible, with President Biden expressing his commitment to bringing her home.

The US government's efforts ultimately contributed to Griner's release, which was secured through a prisoner swap with Russia.

Griner's release was a result of the Biden administration's commitment to negotiating her release and prioritizing her case.

The prisoner swap that led to Griner's release took place in the UAE, marking the end of her detention in Russia.

The US government's actions, including President Biden's personal involvement and the efforts of Secretary

Brittney Griner, a professional American basketball player, was detained in Russia in 2022 for possessing cannabis oil in her luggage, and her detention was extended several times, with her trial resuming on July 7, 2022.

Title:

Content: - The Washington Times - Friday, July 1, 2022

As pressure mounts on President Biden to take more aggressive action to get Moscow to release jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner, the international chatter increasing points to a prisoner swap for convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Russian media and Bout’s lawyer, Steve Zissou, say Russian officials want to secure Bout’s release and that Griner, who has been locked up in Russia since February, could be part of a deal.

“I would be surprised if any American was repatriated without Viktor Bout also being sent home to his family,” Zissou told The Washington Times.

Bout is serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison. He was convicted of conspiracy to kill U.S. citizens, delivering anti-aircraft missiles, and providing aid to a terrorist organization, charges his lawyer disputes.

Another detained American, former Marine Paul Whelan, who was arrested in Russia on espionage charges in 2018, could also be part of a prisoner swap for Bout.

Mr. Zissou said the deal would likely have to include Bout. The lawyer met last month with Russia’s ambassador to the U.S., Anatoly Antonov, who said that freeing Bout “was Russia’s number one priority,” according to Mr. Zissou.

Griner, meanwhile, made her first appearance in court on Friday and was accused of possessing “a significant amount of cannabis oil,” which is a banned substance in Russia. She faces likely conviction and a decade in prison when her trial resumes on July 7.

Griner, 31, was arrested at the airport in Moscow on Feb. 17 for allegedly carrying vape cartridges with hashish oil. She was visiting the country to play for a Russian basketball team after the conclusion of the WNBA season.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied Griner is being held as a political pawn, The Associated Press reported.

“The facts are that the famous athlete was detained in possession of prohibited medication containing narcotic substances,” Peskov told reporters on Friday. “In view of what I’ve said, it can’t be politically motivated.”

Still, Russia’s desire to free Bout complicates matters for Mr. Biden, who is weathering intense criticism for failing to secure the release of Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.

Dozens of organizations, including women’s and LGBTQ groups, have pressed Mr. Biden to step up efforts to secure Griner’s release. They called on the president “to make a deal to get Brittney back home to America immediately and safely.”

While Bout’s lawyer disputes the charges against him, Bout was convicted of far more serious crimes than Griner’s drug charge, which could make it difficult for the Biden administration to agree to a swap.

Griner’s high-profile detainment comes at a historically difficult point in the diplomatic relationship between the U.S. and Russia. Griner was arrested just days before Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine on February 24.

The U.S. has condemned the invasion and responded by providing Ukraine with weapons and other support to defend itself from Mr. Putin’s forces.

With Griner in detention, Russian officials are now intensifying efforts to secure the release of Bout, whose targeting and conviction by the United States has long been viewed as an attack on Russian sovereignty.

Russian media is reporting that a swap for Bout is on the table.

“Currently, talks are underway on exchanging Bout for Griner,” Tass news reported, citing an unnamed Russian source.

Nicknamed the “Merchant of Death,” Bout was convicted in 2011 in a U.S. government sting operation of planning to smuggle arms to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The witnesses hired to portray FARC told Bout the arms would be used to target U.S. military serving in Colombia.

Bout, 55, is about five years from completing his sentence and is in failing health, his lawyer said.

Mr. Zissou said he is trying to elevate the circumstances surrounding his client’s case to improve his appeal as a candidate for a prisoner swap.

The U.S. targeted Bout while he was living in Moscow and retired from running an air transport company that also smuggled arms from one country to another.

The U.S. government paid more than $10 million to criminals as part of the operation to catch Bout.

“Entrapment is exactly what happened,” Mr. Zissou said.

Mr. Zissou said exchanging Griner for Bout is “a no brainer,” because his client will be freed in a few years regardless.

Last week, Russian officials extended Griner’s pretrial detention by six months. With Russia’s acquittal rate in criminal cases at less than 1%, it’s unlikely she will be able to return to the U.S. without a prisoner exchange.

Pressure is also on Mr. Biden to also secure the release of Mr. Whelan, 52, who is serving a 16-year sentence in a Russian prison camp.

“It’s certainly conceivable that a swap for Whelan and Bout gets agreed to, and then at the end of Griner’s trial, if she’s convicted, she just gets pardoned and sent home,” Mr. Zissou said.

In a statement provided to The Times, the State Department declined to provide details about the talks to free Griner.

“We have no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens overseas,” a State Department spokesman said. “The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner. The U.S. government will continue to provide appropriate support to Griner and her family. We will continue to press for her release.”

• Susan Ferrechio can be reached at sferrechio@washingtontimes.com.

Copyright © 2022 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.

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Griner pleaded guilty to drug charges in a Russian court, but her detention is seen as a political move, with many considering her a political pawn in US-Russia relations.

Title:

Content: The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com.

American basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February. She has been facing drug possession charges for carrying vape cartridges in her luggage that contained cannabis oil. The charges carry a potential sentence of up to 10 years in jail.

Griner pleaded guilty to the drug charges in Russian court Thursday, while stressing that she had packed in a hurry and not intended to break Russian law. Regardless of Thursday’s plea, observers have not expected Griner to receive justice in the Russian legal system.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle, has accurately called her a “political pawn” caught up in the fraught relationship between the U.S. and Russia amid the latter’s invasion of neighboring Ukraine. There should be little doubt that Griner’s detention is bigger than vape cartridges.

With frustrations increasingly being voiced by Griner’s family that President Joe Biden and his administration haven’t been doing enough to help her, Griner sent a letter to Biden on Monday asking for assistance for herself and other American detainees. For example, Paul Whelan, who also previously served in the Marines, was accused of being a spy and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2020.

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote in her July 4 letter to Biden.

Marine veteran Trevor Reed knows a thing or two about what Griner and Whelan are going through. Reed was detained in Russia for three years before being released in April as part of a prisoner exchange.

“There is no justice in Russia,” Reed told CNN in June. “Brittney and Paul will not receive justice in Russia. They’re not going to receive a fair trial, they will not receive a fair investigation. They will be there as hostages until the United States gets them out.”

He added that Griner was likely to be treated worse in Russia because of her race and sexual orientation, saying that the country “systematically discriminates” against Black and LGBTQ+ people.

There is only so much the Biden administration can do with Griner in the custody of an authoritarian government known for making examples out of political prisoners, and likely looking for a bargaining chip as it continues its barbaric invasion of Ukraine. Though as demonstrated by Reed’s release, there are options. It must not take three years.

At the very least, for now, Biden and his team can control how they communicate and reassure Griner’s family. And on that front, it seems the administration had been coming up short.

Griner’s family and friends had criticized the Biden administration’s handling of her case, and called for the president to meet with them. On Wednesday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris finally had a phone call with Cherelle Griner.

“The president called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world,” the White House said in a statement after the call. “He also read her a draft of the letter the president is sending to Brittney today.”

That statement also noted that top administration officials have already had calls with Cherelle Griner in recent weeks, and said Biden has directed his national security team to stay in “regular contact” with the Griner family. A U.S. diplomat said they delivered Biden’s letter to Griner at Thursday’s proceedings.

Biden’s call with Griner’s wife was an initial step, and the ultimate goal must be a quick release for Griner and other political prisoners. There is much work left for the administration to do, including a continual commitment to assure Griner’s family that the U.S. is exploring all possible options to secure her release. And hopefully the attention will elevate the pressure to help return other Americans like Whelan as well.

“Write them, call them, annoy them, don’t leave them alone,” Reed said in June about pressuring federal representatives to act. “Tell them you want Brittney home and you want the rest of the Americans who are being wrongfully detained home, and you want it done now.”

Add us to the list of people looking to raise the pressure on the Biden administration to bring home wrongfully detained Americans like Griner, who are essentially hostages, and to bring them home quickly.

The BDN Editorial Board

The Bangor Daily News editorial board members are Publisher Richard J. Warren, Editorial Page Editor Susan Young, Assistant Editorial Page Editor Matt Junker and BDN President Todd Benoit. Young has worked...

The Biden administration was under pressure to secure Griner's release, with Griner's wife and agent calling on the President to act with urgency to free her.

Title:

Content: HOMEPAGE

Brittney Griner's agent calls on Biden and Harris to 'do whatever it takes' to free the WNBA star from Russian captivity

  • Brittney Griner's agent called on Biden and Harris to "do whatever it takes" to get the WNBA player out of Russian jail.
  • Griner's imprisonment was just extended to July 2, Russian state media reported.
  • "Today's extension is just further reinforcement that Brittney Griner — an Olympian and an American citizen — is being used as a political pawn," her agent said.

Brittney Griner's agent called on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to "do whatever it takes" to free the WNBA star from Russian captivity.

"Today's extension is just further reinforcement that Brittney Griner — an Olympian and an American citizen — is being used as a political pawn. Her detention is inhumane and unacceptable," Lindsay Kagawa Colas tweeted Tuesday, referring to Russian state media TASS's reporting that Griner's imprisonment has been extended until July 2.

She continued: "We call on @POTUS and @VP to act with urgency and do whatever it takes to bring Brittney home immediately."

Colas added that Griner has not had a phone call in "117 days of wrongful detention."

Tuesday's extension is the second time Russian officials extended Griner's detention.

She was first arrested at a Moscow airport on February 17 when officials found vape cartridges in her luggage, and she has been held in a Russian prison since.

"We must fight for BG like family because as an American, she is all of ours," Colas said.

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The US government considered Griner "wrongfully detained" by Russia, and her detention was tied to geopolitical tensions over the Ukraine war.

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Content: Skip to main content

Russian court sentences Brittney Griner to 9 years, raising pressure on Biden

A Russian court Thursday sentenced U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner to nine years in a penal colony after convicting her on a drug charge, a harsh penalty that keeps her fate entwined with the geopolitical showdown over the war in Ukraine and ramps up already intense pressure on President Joe Biden to win her release.

The U.S. government contends that she is among several Americans who have been “wrongfully detained” by Russia, used as bargaining chips in the increasingly hostile relationship between Moscow and Washington. The Biden administration has offered a prisoner swap involving Griner, but Russian officials said it was premature to discuss a deal while her case was underway.

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Now that the trial is concluded, Biden faces a difficult choice between standing firm on his proposal to trade for Griner and another American, Paul Whelan, or sweetening the offer somehow, with either position liable to draw domestic criticism.

Meanwhile the Kremlin can use them as leverage, with no incentive to resolve the cases quickly. Griner’s supporters, voicing horror at the verdict and sentence, are clamoring for the president to do something, while the administration is wary of giving in to Russian tactics it has all but labeled blackmail.

“My administration will continue to work tirelessly and pursue every possible avenue to bring Brittney and Paul Whelan home safely as soon as possible,” Biden said in a statement after the verdict.

Griner, 31, one of her sport’s biggest global stars, sat mostly expressionless, eyes downcast, leaning her long frame toward the bars of the defendant’s box in a cramped courtroom outside Moscow to hear as the words of the judge, Anna Sotnikova, were quietly translated for her. She had already pleaded guilty, and conviction is all but certain in Russian courts, so the verdict was a foregone conclusion; the real question was about sentencing.

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The answer was devastating. The sentence was near the 10-year maximum for her conviction for attempting to smuggle narcotics into the country, based on two vape cartridges containing hashish oil found in Griner’s luggage when she arrived in February, a week before President Vladimir Putin sent Russian forces to Ukraine.

She and her legal team had hoped for a more lenient penalty based on her guilty plea, her statement that she had not meant to take the cartridges to Russia, and testimony that she used the substance legally in the United States to manage pain.

“I made an honest mistake, and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn’t end my life here,” she said before the sentencing.

She told the court that while she took responsibility for her actions, “I had no intent to break Russian law.” She said that after recovering from a bout of COVID, she had packed hurriedly to rejoin the Russian team she plays for in the WNBA offseason, and had accidentally left the cartridges in her luggage.

Griner’s defense team called the ruling “absolutely unreasonable,” said the court had “completely ignored all the evidence of the defense, and most importantly, the guilty plea,” and vowed to appeal. Elizabeth Rood, deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, attended the court session and called the result “a miscarriage of justice.”

Russian officials have insisted that Griner’s case is simply the justice system running its course, with no political overtones — a claim that their U.S. counterparts and many Western analysts dismissed as absurd.

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William Pomeranz, a Russia expert and acting director of the Kennan Institute, a research group in Washington, noted that Griner was sentenced not to a prison but to a penal colony, which tends to mean a more remote location — many are in Siberia — and harsher conditions.

“She’s probably going to go to a penal colony that’s in the middle of Russia where she won’t know anybody,” he added. “They won’t be able to come and visit. Penal colonies can sometimes be very severe. It will be a tremendous test of her mental state if she ends up going to a penal colony.”

The United States has few options, he said. “It will just depend on the Russians and how fast they want to make a deal.”

Fellow basketball players, male and female, and basketball executives took to social media to voice support for Griner and grief at the verdict. Griner’s team, the Phoenix Mercury, said in a statement: “We remain heartbroken for her, as we have every day for nearly six months. We remain grateful to and confident in the public servants working every day to return her to her family and us.”

With Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the indiscriminate destruction it has caused, relations between Washington and Moscow are more confrontational and bitter than they have been in decades. The United States has rallied the West to send arms and other aid to Ukraine, and to punish Moscow with economic sanctions, looking for opportunities to ratchet up the pressure.

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The two sides have made prisoner exchanges before, most recently in April, when Russia released Trevor Reed, an American held on what his family said was a bogus assault charge, in return for a Russian pilot convicted in the United States of cocaine trafficking charges. But rarely have proposed swaps come amid such tension, or involved anyone as prominent as Griner.

In a sign of how high the stakes are for Washington, Griner’s fate was among the topics discussed last Friday by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, in their first direct conversation since before the invasion.

The Biden administration has offered to trade Griner and Whelan for Viktor Bout, who is serving a 25-year sentence for a 2011 conviction on a federal charge of conspiring to sell weapons to people posing as terrorists intent on killing Americans. Whelan, detained in Russia since 2018, was convicted of espionage and sentenced to 16 years.

Russia made an unspecified “bad faith” counteroffer, the White House said Monday, which U.S. officials said they did not consider serious.

John Kirby, spokesperson for the National Security Council, told reporters Thursday, “I don’t think it would be helpful to Brittney or to Paul for us to talk more publicly about where we are in the talks and what the president might or might not be willing to do.”

“Conversations are ongoing at various levels,” he added.

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If Biden sticks to his initial offer, he could face accusations of not doing enough.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, and other supporters have mounted an effective public campaign to pressure the president to win her release. Supporters worry about her treatment in a country where anti-American and anti-gay vitriol are deeply embedded in popular views and official propaganda. Images of a grim-faced Griner being led, handcuffed, in and out of court, towering over her armed guards, have become commonplace in U.S. and international media.

The administration could make a more attractive offer, but U.S. officials already worry that deals for prisoners could encourage hostile foreign governments to detain Americans on trumped-up charges in exchange for concessions like freeing their own wrongdoers. Some Republicans have already complained that Biden’s existing offer creates such an incentive.

A 6-foot-9 center, Griner won a college national championship with Baylor in 2012, a WNBA championship with the Mercury in 2014, Olympic gold medals with the U.S. team at the 2016 and 2020 games, and four EuroLeague championships with the Russian team UMMC Yekaterinburg. Like many players in the WNBA, where salaries are much lower than in the NBA, Griner — who also played one season for a professional team in China — has played overseas to supplement her income.

Griner's case sparked concerns about the treatment of American citizens in Russia, particularly those from marginalized communities, with some warning that she may face challenges due to her race and orientation.

Title:

Content: 2 hours ago - World

Russian court again extends Brittney Griner's detention

A Russian court extended American basketball star Brittney Griner's detention for a second time on Tuesday, meaning she will remain in custody until at least July 2, according to Russian state media.

Why it matters: Griner has been in pre-trial detention since she was detained at a Moscow-area airport in February after authorities claimed that they found vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage.

  • She was charged with drug smuggling, and her detention has now been extended two times.
  • The U.S. State Department considers Griner "wrongfully detained" by Russia.
  • It has also warned other Americans to not travel to Russia because the Kremlin may be specifically targeting Americans for arrest, potentially for the purpose of exchanging them for Russians held in American prisons.

The big picture: Former Marine Trevor Reed, who was held in a Russian prison since 2019 before being released in April, called on the Biden administration and Congress last week to increase efforts to release Griner, even if it means more prisoner swaps.

  • Reed warned that Griner may face greater challenges inside Russia's prison system than he did because of her race and sexual orientation.

Go deeper: Brittney Griner's wife urges Biden to bring detained player home

Go deeper

The US government warned Americans not to travel to Russia due to the risk of being targeted for arrest and used as leverage for prisoner swaps.

Griner's detention highlighted the issue of WNBA pay disparity, as well as concerns about LGBTQ rights, with many calling for increased efforts to support Griner and other American citizens detained abroad.

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Where does wrongful detention of Brittney Griner go from here?

She will inevitably be labeled a hostage

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Brittney Griner

It seems like years rather than weeks ago that American political prisoner, Trevor Reed, was released from Russia in a prisoner swap. It also seems like years since an American citizen, basketball superstar Brittney Griner, was taken into custody in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for allegedly having hashish oil in her possession.

We now know what many of us believed all along – that Brittney Griner was, in the far too late proclamation by the U.S. government, “wrongfully detained.” In diplomacy-speak, wrongfully detained is synonymous with politically detained, which is super close to what will soon enough inevitably happen – calling Brittney Griner a hostage.

Since the beginning of Griner’s detention, I have done dozens of print, radio, TV, and related interviews, and I have a pretty clear view of how and why we got here.

As I wrote around six weeks ago, if we read between the lines of what’s being said in traditional and social media, we can extract three key reasons why the Griner situation isn’t getting the attention that it should be and would be if it was a different athlete.

The first reason is that Brittney Griner is not a terribly high-profile athlete.

This is patently untrue. As I have been commenting from the minute we learned that she was taken into custody by the Russians, Griner was absolutely the highest-profile American athlete that Russia could have taken into custody as they were preparing for their brutal invasion of Ukraine.

The only other high-profile athletes playing in Russia or transiting through at that time were the very few American players in Russia’s top hockey league, the KHL. None are superstars in their sport, as Griner is.

The second argument for why Griner isn’t getting the attention she should be is that she is LGBTQ.

I have argued that this is a reasonably good hypothesis. It just seems that a straight athlete would be getting a lot more attention and public sympathy than Griner has, in part, yet not in full, because of her sexual orientation. That’s a remarkably harsh position to have to take in 2022, yet it’s clear that Griner doesn’t fit the mold of what many Americans see as that all-American athlete. That one’s sexual or gender orientation should drive the American public’s level of sympathy for one of their own top athletes is a shame, but here we are.

The third and most commonly cited reason for Brittany Griner getting less attention than another athlete in a similar situation is that she’s Black.

This argument holds little weight with me. Yes, it makes sense that in comparison to a high-profile white athlete, some people are simply going to care less about a Black athlete. Again, that’s a harsh analysis, yet not unaligned with many things going on in the nation today.

But I think this is a reductive argument that crumbles under the weight of the analogy that I usually use during TV and radio broadcasts about the Griner case – and that is, what if this was Kyrie Irving?

I like to use Kyrie Irving as an analogy because he is a highly controversial Black athlete. Obviously, NBA players don’t have to have second jobs in places like Russia, Turkey, and China, to make ends meet, as the WNBA women do. But just imagine that Kyrie Irving was traveling alone through Moscow airport. If Irving had been taken into custody by the Russians, I can guarantee that this would be front-page news not just in the sports section but on the front page of all significant papers practically every day. That simply hasn’t been the case with Brittney Griner.

Every day, I am asked where this goes from here. With Griner’s May 19 hearing delayed “one month” (though at the time of writing, no date has been set), I remained convinced of two things: that this goes to a worse place than we are now and that it progresses painfully slowly.

As to the first point, to maximize leverage over the United States, it’s likely that Griner will end up somewhere like a Russian labor camp before she ever steps back into the United States. While Russia does not follow the Rule of Law, it would be neither legally nor politically expedient to just hold Griner in a Moscow jail or prison indefinitely. They need to make her situation worse to turn up the urgency of the case for the American government.

But this indeed won’t happen overnight. As I’ve also been saying all along, the next hearing date will also be delayed, OR we will learn through a TASS Russian media release that Griner was tried, found guilty of all charges, and sentenced (see labor camp, above).

As to what each of us can do, my advice remains the same: Keep talking about it. Make this Brittney as viral as Britney Spears was a year ago. Just as Britney Spears’ freedom from her conservatorship was turbo-charged by the #FreeBritney hashtag, let’s #FreeBrittney now.

This is significantly less trite than it sounds. There is no indication that the American government doesn’t want you to forget about Brittney Griner. As former hostage Jason Rezaian discussed on an excellent recent Washington Post podcast, he always “calls BS” on those parties, saying we should keep detentions such as Griner’s out of the public spotlight. He advocates being as loud as we can be on this, which is why I keep doing interviews on this issue as much as possible.

Ultimately, Brittney Griner will be a political prisoner until the United States and Russia can decide, in crass basketball terms, on a fair player trade. On Friday, we learned that the two sides might actually be in discussions now for a trade involving Griner for notorious convicted arms trafficker Viktor Bout, aka the “Merchant of Death.”

Unless this can re-enter and remain in the public spotlight, along with any pressure on the government, Britney Griner will not get the treatment she deserves as one of the greatest basketball players of her generation. That the massive disparity between how NBA and WNBA players are compensated laid the foundation for her to be in this position is the harsh reality these leagues face today. Yet it pales compared to the uncertain reality Griner faces today in a Moscow jail.

A Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer, Aron Solomon, JD, is the chief legal analyst for Today’s Esquire. He has taught entrepreneurship at McGill University and the University of Pennsylvania, and was elected to Fastcase 50, recognizing the top 50 legal innovators in the world.

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Leave no one behind: Building an LGBTQ+ movement for all

A just society is only achievable by investing in dignity of the marginalized

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Despite the expansion of LGBTQ+ civil rights and liberties in D.C., some of which we proudly attribute to GLAA’s stalwart activism for the past 51 years, the most vulnerable members of our community continue to suffer from poverty, homelessness, criminalization, discrimination, social isolation, and preventable death. A jaw-dropping 40% of homeless youth in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+, LGBTQ+ people experience hunger at twice the rate of straight people, and right here in D.C., the Office of Human Rights reports that employers are more likely to interview a less-qualified cisgender job applicant than a more-qualified transgender applicant.

So for our 2022 candidate ratings, GLAA decided to emphasize that racial and economic justice are LGBTQ+ justice issues. While we recognize the importance of openly LGBTQ+ candidates, we know one’s identity does not indicate where they stand on critical issues. Something many of us have learned the hard way, and something GLAA leadership recognizes not championing sooner as a mistake. What matters most is a candidate’s demonstrated record and vision to support the LGBTQ+ community in its entirety.

It is not enough for candidates to respond only to the needs of those who historically have held the most power in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly white cisgender gay men, in order to tout support of the entire community. The LGBTQ+ community is so many different people, and it is time we push candidates to consider and address us in our entirety. For too long, many LGBTQ+ people have felt rejected and betrayed by our community’s movement priorities, narratives about what our community stands for, and decisions on who is valued and who is selected to represent or lead us. And, while GLAA understands no one politician or organization can erase these community divides, we aim to be intentional in our approach to dismantle that which stands in our entire community’s way toward liberation. That is why, in 2022 we decided to rate candidates on their responses and records of support on issues that impact the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community. None of us is free until all of us are free.

Throughout GLAA’s history we have focused on securing LGBTQ+ rights, which have mostly strengthened the legal protections of people privileged enough to take advantage of them. GLAA decided to focus the Leave No One Behind: 2022 Election Guide and questionnaire on racial and economic justice with an LGBTQ+ lens. We did this to build on our victories, such as successfully advocating for the defunding of the Metropolitan Police Department’s vice squad in the 1970s, and to learn from our mistakes.

It is our belief that a just, peaceful, and vibrant society is only achievable by actively investing in the security and dignity of the poor and marginalized members of all our communities. Our questionnaire intentionally acts in solidarity with D.C. anti-poverty, anti-stigma, and anti-overdose campaigns, which are largely led by trans and queer people of color.

Ratings are on a scale of +/-10 points: yes/no responses on questionnaire (+/-2); substance of response (+/-4); and candidate’s public record (+/-4). Candidates earned partial credit for the yes/no category if they partially agreed with the question. Four issues received more than 91% agreement: increasing the affordable housing stock for the poorest residents, housing people using government funded vouchers, fully funding the Office of Human Rights, and better oversight to improve conditions in the DC Jail.

Three issues received 70-79% candidates’ support, and over 90% when including candidates who issued partial support: Repealing the sub-minimum wage, decriminalization of drug use, and reducing the population of D.C. jail by 30%.

Finally, the least supported policies were decriminalization of consensual sex work and divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department and investing in violence prevention and recidivism prevention programs. Even still, there was remarkable consensus: over 2/3 or 66% of candidates who issued total or partial support.

We are encouraged by the remarkable level of consensus on all of our issues, signaling that D.C. is ready for transformative change that at its core addresses the District’s current poverty, unaffordable housing, community and police-based violence, and overdose crises.

GLAA is excited to see more LGBTQ+ people on ballots. More exciting, however, is the number of politicians with fully realized and integrated LGBTQ+ policies in their platforms. Policies that extend across race and class lines. GLAA firmly believes all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, can be stewards of LGBTQ+ liberation. It is our hope that readers find these ratings not as endorsements, but as a starting point to imagine what is possible if local officials are guided by D.C. residents to use their elected power to create new possibilities that leave no one behind.

This opinion piece was signed by the 2022 Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance board of directors.

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GLAA has lost its way and should close

Their ratings no longer make an iota of difference in an election

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(Blade file photo by Pete Exis)

The Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance (GLAA), once a respected organization, has now lost its way. It once represented all the members of the LGBTQ+ community, clearly no longer the case, as one can tell based on their questionnaire and ratings. They now represent only the far left in the community and are seeking to represent more than LGBTQ+ people as the statement from their current president suggests. That is not the role of GLAA.

One of the questions in this year’s questionnaire that candidates were asked to respond to is: “Do you support divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to further invest in vital programs, including anti-poverty, violence prevention, crisis intervention, and reentry?” If you didn’t say yes, you lost points. This shows how out of touch they are as the DC Council just voted unanimously, on a first vote, to raise the budget of the MPD. The approved budget also includes increased funding for other vital programs. There’s no indication GLAA ever spoke to Council members on this issue.

Its website lists five officers, all men, with a blurb on each. The one for the president, in addition to listing past and current employment, says, “When he is not organizing, he loves asking people about their Myers Briggs Type (he is ENFP, for the record), doing gay crimes (the basics like drugs and public sex), having Spicy Vanilla sex, dancing to hot beats on the dance floor, practicing vulnerability, plotting revolution against capitalism and other forms of oppression.” He is entitled to his views. But I question how his leading the GLAA represents the broader LGBTQ+ community.

Over the years I’ve had issues with some of what GLAA has done and some of the issues they focused on. But the organization always represented the entire spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community in their questionnaire. Candidates getting a rating from the organization could feel it represented a wide range of opinion in the community. I would hope no candidate tries to pawn the current ratings off as any kind of support from the broader LGBTQ + community.

In the past you always knew their officers, including Rick Rosendall, Bob Summersgill and Jeff Coudriet among others, were involved with D.C. government and knew the issues in-depth. They knew the candidates. Responding to their questionnaire over the years was always interesting. Rick often was the one who spent hours drafting the questions. I always wondered why it was never enough to say yes you agree with their premise. Instead, you had to say it in hundreds, even thousands, of words to earn points. I know as I have filled out questionnaires for many candidates.

Today their website lists nine project areas, none with anything accomplished since 2016. The blog has nothing on any recent budget issues or legislation pertaining to the LGBTQ+ community, only information about the questionnaire. They claim to lobby the Council and monitor government agencies, but there is no indication of any meetings or testimony since 2017.

We can thank GLAA for the fact that today no politician can win office in D.C. without being supportive of the LGBTQ community. However, today their ratings no longer make an iota of difference in an election. Since this is now the only thing they do it’s time to close up shop. We have moved past the time in D.C. when a small number of people can sit in a room rating candidates they don’t know, on issues that don’t represent the community they are supposed to be representing.

So personally, I say thank you to all the people who worked hard over many years for GLAA to help move the LGBTQ community forward. I recognize there is much work still to be done but GLAA is not the organization to do it. We must work to ensure economic and civil justice for all members of our community; health equity for transgender persons; senior housing for our community; and employment opportunities for all, among other issues. But there are other LGBTQ organizations, and community organizations, doing these things better and the few members GLAA might still have should be directed to those other organizations.

If as their website claims they are planning an anniversary celebration, it should be one to honor all the people who in the past 50 years of the organization, worked hard and were successful in making my life and the lives of so many LGBTQ people in the District of Columbia and around the nation better. That would be an exciting way to say goodbye and celebrate the organization whose time it is to close.

Peter Rosenstein is a longtime LGBTQ rights and Democratic Party activist. He writes regularly for the Blade.

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An unlikely revolution is happening at Christian universities

More than half have enacted LGBTQ non-discrimination policies

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Recent headlines have been filled with messages of doom and gloom for LGBTQ people. From bans on transgender women competing in sports to “don’t say gay” laws, it seems evident that conservative Republicans are freshly committed to rolling back the rights of LGBTQ people across the United States.

Yet, despite such recent setbacks, a student-led movement for LGBTQ inclusion is gaining ground in what would seem to be one of the unlikeliest settings — Christian colleges and universities.

Over the past few years, I’ve collected extensive data on U.S. Christian colleges and universities’ policies toward LGBTQ students. In one study, I found that 55% of all Christian colleges and universities in the United States have nondiscrimination policies inclusive of sexual orientation. In another recent study, I found that nearly half of all Christian colleges and universities are home to officially recognized LGBTQ student groups.

Even some of the most conservative Christian colleges and universities have changed their approach to LGBTQ students. When analyzing data collected in 2013, I found that nearly one-third of all Christian colleges and universities had adopted bans on so-called “homosexual acts” or “homosexual behavior” in their student handbooks. Yet, when reviewing Christian colleges and universities’ handbooks again over the past year, I found that under one-fourth of Christian colleges and universities had such discriminatory bans.

Why are some Christian colleges and universities becoming more accommodating—and even welcoming—to LGBTQ students?

There are several major reasons, but one of the most important is that several Christian denominations already embrace their LGBTQ members. Denominations such as the Episcopal Church, United Church of Christ, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Disciples of Christ, and Presbyterian Church USA, for example, allow ministers to officiate same-sex weddings. An increasing number of nondenominational churches also affirm LGBTQ people. Those Christian colleges and universities that are already associated with affirming denominations are certainly among the most likely to affirm their LGBTQ students.

Another reason that many Christian colleges and universities are becoming welcoming toward LGBTQ students is that they do not necessarily believe their primary mission is to hold all students to the specific religious tenets of their associated denomination. Rather, they see their primary mission as providing an important service (education) to the broader society. Just as Christian hospitals do not refuse to provide medical treatment to people who are not members of their associated denominations, many Christian colleges and universities have chosen not to deny people an education simply because certain people are not members of their associated denominations.

A rising number of Christian colleges and universities also recognize the harms that occur when people are discriminated against on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. A recent survey by Religious Exemption Accountability Project shows that 12% of all Christian college and university students self-identify as LGBTQ. Because studies show that LGBTQ people in non-affirming Christian colleges and universities report greater rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, many Christian schools understand they would be harming a significant number of their students if they continued to discriminate against LGBTQ people.

And still other schools are simply concerned with their bottom lines. The United States is projected to go over a “demographic cliff” in 2025, at which time the number of 18-year-olds nationwide will drop dramatically. Some reports say that one-third of all private colleges and universities nationwide will face major financial crises over the next decade, causing them to close or pursue mergers. Many Christian colleges and universities recognize that adopting discriminatory policies toward LGBTQ students would alienate significant portions of their potential student body.

Certainly, despite these encouraging trends, those who are committed to LGBTQ rights should not be complacent. Many schools have still been slow to extend nondiscrimination protections and housing accommodations to trans students. And the Religious Exemption Accountability Project estimates that as many as 100,000 LGBTQ students are currently enrolled at Christian colleges and universities that still refuse to affirm the dignity and rights of LGBTQ people. That organization recently filed a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education, challenging the federal government’s policy of providing loans even to Christian colleges and universities that otherwise violate Title IX protections for LGBTQ students.

It is likely the case that some Christian colleges and universities will not change their policies toward LGBTQ rights unless they are legally required to do so. Still, at Christian colleges and universities across the United States, LGBTQ students are not waiting around. LGBTQ students are actively mobilizing to bring about inclusive policies at their schools, and at a surprising number of schools, they are succeeding.

Jonathan S. Coley is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Oklahoma State University and a Public Fellow at the Public Religion Research Institute.

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The Russian government denied that Griner's case was politically motivated, citing the country's laws against drug possession, but many believed that her detention was a means of exerting pressure on the US government.

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Griner testifies in Russia as U.S. offers deal

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STORY: U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner testified in a Russian court Wednesday that her rights weren't read when she was detained at a Moscow airport in February

"No, my rights were never read to me. No one explained any of it to me."

Griner is on trial for drug charges that could cost her up to 10 years in prison.

The 31-year-old WNBA star plays in Russia during the league's offseason. She was detained when agents found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

Griner said in court Wednesday that she was not provided with an interpreter and did not understand what papers she was made to sign.

"I can only assume they were about the search and the cartridges. We had to use my phone and Google Translate for him to be able to tell me a little bit."

Griner pleaded guilty earlier in the trial but denied she intended to break Russian law.

She said on Wednesday that she still did not understand how the vape cartridges could have ended up in her luggage, saying she had packed hurriedly and could accidentally have included them.

Griner said she had been prescribed medical cannabis in the US to treat chronic injuries - but it is illegal in Russia.

The case against her has highlighted strained relations between Russia and the United States that have plunged to their lowest since the Cold War over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

U.S. officials say Griner has been wrongly detained and called for her immediate release.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday the US had made a "substantial offer" to bring home Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, convicted in Russia of spying.

"We want to see those who are wrongfully detained be released and be able to return home. At the same time, it's important that we work to reinforce the global norm against these arbitrary detentions."

The Kremlin has said the case against her has nothing to do with politics and that she should be tried for violating Russian law.

The US and Russian governments discussed a prisoner swap for Griner, with the US offering to exchange Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, for her release, and Griner was eventually released in a prisoner swap in December 2022.

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Content: US offers 'substantial' deal to swap Russian arms dealer for Griner, Whelan

By ANI | Published: July 28, 2022 02:38 PM 2022-07-28T14:38:16+5:30 2022-07-28T14:45:13+5:30

The United States has offered Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death" in exchange for the release of US citizens Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, both held by Moscow.

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The United States has offered Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death" in exchange for the release of US citizens Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, both held by Moscow.

Notably, Viktor Bout was given a 25-year prison sentence by the US in 2012.

The United States has put a "substantial proposal on the table" to facilitate the release of US citizens Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, both held by Russia in what the US has termed "wrongful detention", US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said.

Blinken on Wednesday said that he would soon press for the Americans' return in his first conversation with his Moscow counterpart for the first time since the Ukraine war.

The US, for the first time, had confirmed that it had made proposals to Russia to release the American basketball star, Griner, who was detained for months in a drugs case and Whelan, sentenced to 16 years in prison on espionage charges in 2016, The New York Times reported.

The notion of trading Griner for Bout surfaced in Russian news media several weeks ago. US officials would not publicly discuss the idea at the time and stressed their concern about potentially incentivizing the detention of Americans abroad by foreign actors looking to win concessions.

However, on Wednesday, State Secretary said that the two countries had "communicated repeatedly and directly" about the proposal, though he would not provide details or describe the Russian response, saying he did not want to endanger sensitive negotiations with Moscow, reported The New York Times.

CNN was the first one to break the news that the United States, in June, offered to trade. Bout for Griner and Whelan. And US President Joe Biden, who has been under growing political pressure to free the Americans, backed the offer.

Blinken further said that he expected to talk with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov in the coming days and urge him to accept the proposal. The two ministers talked to each other before the Russia-Ukraine war, in January. Blinken avoided so much as shaking Lavrov's hand at a Group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali earlier this month.

Biden has been under the pressure to secure the freedom of Griner in particular, whose wife, Cherelle, and several Democratic-aligned political groups have publicly urged him to strike a deal to win her release. Biden spoke to Cherelle Griner this month, according to The New York Times.

In mid-July, the Women's National Basketball Association players took to the court in Chicago at their All-star Game, wearing jerseys bearing Griner's number 42. The New York Times citing NBC News, reported that Trevor Reed, a former US Marine freed from a Russian prison in April after three years of detention, in which he said the White House was "not doing enough" to free Griner and Whelan.

In February, the Russian authorities detained Brittney Griner, on drug charges, after finding vape cartridges that contained hashish oil in her luggage while she was at an airport near Moscow.

In Russia, she was stopped at an airport near Moscow and since then, her detention has been repeatedly extended. Griner's trial began on July 1 and she pleaded guilty. Her lawyers have argued that the star had a medical prescription for the hashish oil and mistakenly carried the drug into Russia.

( With inputs from ANI )

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

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Griner's release was seen as a significant development in US-Russia relations, with some hailing it as a diplomatic victory for the Biden administration.

However, others criticized the prisoner swap, arguing that it set a dangerous precedent for future dealings with Russia and other countries.

After her release, Griner returned to the US and was reunited with her family, with many celebrating her freedom and calling for increased support for American citizens detained abroad.

Griner's experiences in the Russian penitentiary system were widely reported, with many expressing concern about the conditions she faced and the impact on her physical and mental health.

The American government's efforts to free Griner were widely scrutinized, with some criticizing the Biden administration for not doing enough to secure her release earlier.

Despite the challenges she faced, Griner's case brought attention to the issue of American citizens detained abroad and the need for increased support and advocacy for their release.

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Content: MadameNoire Featured Video

Source: Mike Mattina / Getty

A court in Moscow has extended the detention of WNBA player Brittney Griner, according to Russian state-owned news agency TASS

Griner, 31, was detained at a Moscow airport on Feb. 17 and arrested on drug smuggling charges. Despite being one of the WNBA’s most recognizable athletes, the basketball player’s detainment in Russia thus far has had some refer to her as a political hostage, due to it preceding Russia’s increased tensions with the United States over the invasion of Ukraine.

As MADAMENOIRE previously reported, Russian authorities claim the basketball star’s luggage contained vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis.

CNN noted the situation’s more recent development and that according to TASS “The court granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the U.S. citizen Griner until May 19.”

Tom Firestone, a former U.S. Justice Department legal resident advisor to the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, shared with ESPN that delay for more investigation time in Griner’s case is standard in Russia and that the player could be held without trial anywhere from 12-18 months.

If found guilty, the Phoenix Mercury player faces up to 10 years in Russian prison.

While the situation may seem bleak, Griner has received tons of support from those anticipating her safe return.

A Change.org petition created by sports writer Tamryn Spruill now has 64,192 signatures.

On March 7, Griner’s wife Cherelle penned a message on social media to the basketball player that read,” We love you babe! People say ‘stay busy.’ Yet, there’s not a task in this world that could keep any of us from worrying about you. My heart, our hearts, are all skipping beats every day that goes by. I miss your voice. I miss your presence. You’re our person! There are no words to express this pain. I’m hurting, we’re hurting. We await the day to love on you as a family ♥.”

We’ll keep you updated as this story progresses.

RELATED CONTENT: “Freeing Brittney Griner From Russian Detainment Could Be A ‘Very Difficult’ Task”

TRENDING ON MADAMENOIRE

Griner was sentenced to 9 years in Russian prison for cannabis possession, a sentence that was later upheld by a Russian court.

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Content: Diplomat Sparks Renewed Hope For Brittney Griner Prisoner Exchange

The situation surrounding Brittney Griner's case is looking a little less bleak, thanks to the recent developments brought about by negotiations between the U.S. and Russia.

In early November, the WNBA star had been transferred to a penal colony in the Russian republic of Mordovia. There, she began fulfilling her nine-year sentence for drug possession. As reported by Reuters, authorities initially arrested Griner in February 2022 after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport. While she attempted to appeal the ruling, it was ultimately upheld by a Russian court.

"This has been [a] very traumatic experience, waiting for this day, waiting for the first court, and getting nine years for a crime that I was barely over the significant amount," she said at the hearing (via CBS News). "I don't understand the first court's decision to give one year less than the max when I've been here almost 8 months, and people with more severe crimes have gotten less than what I was given... I really hope that the court will adjust this sentence, because it's been very, very stressful and very traumatic to my mental and psyche, being away from my family and not being able to communicate." However, there is now renewed hope that Griner could be released, with a Russian diplomat claiming that a swap could happen sometime in the future.

Russian diplomat says there's 'always a chance' for a swap

Not all hope is lost, after all. According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Russia is not turning its back on the possibility of a prisoner exchange with the U.S. As reported by the New York Post, Ryabkov told reporters that there is "always a chance" when asked about the likelihood of a swap taking place before the end of the year. However, he noted that in the past, there had been multiple instances when it seemed as if Russia would agree to a swap, only for the plan to fall apart. If the prisoner swap does take place, Ryabkov said it would "send a positive signal that not everything is hopeless in Russian-American relations."

In the meantime, it looks like Brittney Griner has her work cut out for her. Maria Alyokhina, a former member of the band Pussy Riot, didn't mince words when she spoke to NPR about her own experience at a Russian penal colony. "It has a bit better conditions than [the] original gulag system from the 1950s," she said, but added that it's still "a labor camp." She described the grim reality she endured while serving out her own sentence, calling it inhumane. "For 100 women, there are like three toilets and no hot water," she recalled, adding that the penal colony is merely a "legal slavery system."

According to a statement released by her lawyers (via BBC), she is trying her best to survive and is "doing as well as could be expected and trying to stay strong as she adapts to a new environment."

Griner was arrested in February 2022 for possessing cannabis oil in her luggage at Moscow's airport, and was subsequently transferred to a penal colony in Mordovia.

The conditions in the Russian penal colony were inhumane, and Griner had to adapt to a new and traumatic environment.

Griner's experience in the Russian prison was stressful, and she had to find ways to stay strong and cope with the harsh conditions.

She even had to cut her hair due to the cold weather, as she feared her dreadlocks would freeze during the Russian winter.

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Content: When she finally returned home following a hellish prison stint in Russia, Brittney Griner’s trademark dreadlocks were gone. She looked like a different person without it, and more than a few folks were curious about the timing of her decision to cut it.

As it turns out, it had a lot to do with Griner’s survival instincts while inside the Russian penitentiary. The WNBA star did not cut her hair just because she wanted a new look, but apparently, the decision was made out of necessity.

Brittney’s Russian attorney, Maria Blagovolina, revealed that according to Griner herself, she cut out her dreads two weeks prior to her release because she feared that they would freeze during the long Russian winter:

“It’s very cold in there and every time she washed her hair she got cold and would get a chill,” Blagovolina said, via T.J. Quin of ESPN. “She should have waited until New Year’s Day.”

That’s actually very telling of Griner’s mindset in her final few weeks in prison. She did not know that her prison term was coming to an end and she was already preparing for the worst. This just goes to show how difficult life was for the Phoenix Mercury center inside the Russian penal colony. It’s also as if she had abandoned all hope that she was going to get out soon.

Fortunately, the U.S. government delivered on its promise to get Brittney Griner back before the New Year. It was a long and difficult process, no doubt, but the most important thing right now is that Brittney is finally home.

Griner was prescribed medical marijuana in the United States, but this was not taken into account during her trial in Russia.

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Content: Breaking

WNBA Star Brittney Griner Released From Russian Captivity in Prisoner Swap

Months after being sentenced to 9 years in prison, WNBA star Brittney Griner was released from Russian detention and is "on her way home," President Joe Biden shared on Dec. 8.

By Jess Cohen, Emlyn Travis Dec 08, 2022 1:33 PMTags
Watch: Brittney Griner: Russia Ready to Discuss Prisoner Swap

After months of heartache, Brittney Griner is officially free.

The WNBA star has been released after 294 days in Russian captivity, a senior administration official announced on Dec. 8. Griner—who was found guilty on drug charges by a Russian court and sentenced to 9 years in prison in August—was traded for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was 11 years into a 25 year sentence.

Per the official, President Joe Biden signed off on the trade, which took place in the UAE. American businessman Paul Whelan was not included in the deal.

"Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner," the president tweeted Dec. 8 alongside photos of Brittney's wife Cherelle Griner and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home."

This news comes nearly a year after the Phoenix Mercury center, who plays for a Russian team during the off-season, was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport for allegedly possessing vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her luggage.

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Stars Arrested Fighting for a Cause

She was later charged with smuggling of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, their precursors or analogues, and with illegal acquisition, storage, transportation, manufacture, processing of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances or their analogues. During her trial on July 7, Brittney pled guilty to all of the charges but said that she did not act deliberately.

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"My parents taught me two important things," Brittney told the court through tears following closing arguments on Aug. 4. "Take ownership for your responsibilities and work hard for everything that you have. That's why I plead guilty to my charges. I understand the charges against me. I had no intent to break any Russian laws. I want the courts to understand it was an honest mistake."

She continued, "I never meant to hurt anybody. I never meant to break any Russian laws. I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here."

Brittney had previously testified that she was legally prescribed medical marijuana by a doctor in the United States. She said she was going through airport security when a member of staff asked her to open her bag, which led to the discovery of the cartridges, per NBC News. After signing documents that she wasn't able to understand without Google Translate, the basketball player was able to call a lawyer before her phone was confiscated.

"At that point it felt like I was being held against my will," she said, according to the outlet. "I asked again what's going on and when can I see my lawyer. I was then told I have to be interrogated."

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Brittney's legal team later told E! News in a statement that they were "very disappointed" by the court's decision and planned to file an appeal.

"As legal professionals, we believe that the court should be fair to everyone regardless of nationality," they shared. "The court completely ignored all the evidence of the defense, and most importantly, the guilty plea. This contradicts the existing legal practice. Taking into account the amount of the substance (not to mention the defects of the expertise) and the plea, the verdict is absolutely unreasonable. We will certainly file an appeal."

Biden also shared his disappointment. "Russia is wrongfully detaining Brittney," he said in a statement. "It's unacceptable, and I call on Russia to release her immediately so she can be with her wife, loved ones, friends, and teammates."

The president kept in touch with Brittney and wrote her a letter shortly after the athlete sent an open letter to the White House, which arrived on July 4.

During a July 28 press conference, Secretary of State Antony Blinken shared that the administration had "put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate" the release of Brittney and Whelan, per NBC News. "Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal, and I'll use the conversation to follow up personally and, I hope, move us toward a resolution."

Throughout her time in prison, Brittney has received steadfast support from her wife Cherelle as well as fellow athletes including Stephen Curry, Megan Rapinoe and more.

"I have to walk the fine line of harm versus help when it comes to my wife right now," Cherelle told CBS Mornings on July 5. "So, as much as I want to advocate for her and push for our governments to do everything, I also have to take into account that she's in a position where she could be harmed also, by any and everything I do, and so, it's a thin line to walk."

For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App

The Russian prison was very cold, and Griner got cold and chilled after washing her hair, making her daily life even more difficult.

Griner had abandoned hope of an early release and was preparing for the worst in her final weeks in prison.

The US government delivered on its promise to get Griner back, and she was released from Russian prison before the New Year.

Griner's life was difficult in the Russian penal colony, where she was imprisoned for 10 months.

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Content: Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
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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.

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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.

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“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.

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“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.”

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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.

Griner was exchanged for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout as part of a prisoner swap, a deal that was signed off on by President Biden in the UAE.

The prisoner swap was a significant diplomatic effort, and Griner's release was announced by President Joe Biden.

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Donald Trump Jr goes on vile rant attacking Brittney Griner after Russia release

Donald Trump Jr – son of the former President – has lashed out at WBNA star Brittney Griner, following her release from a Russian penal colony this week.

While many people shared their joy at her freedom, Trump Jr instead criticised the release and attacked her sporting skills.

He also made a string of jabs at President Joe Biden, who announced Griner’s release on Thursday (8 December), which was made in exchange for Russian criminal Viktor Bout, who was being held in the United States.

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Trump Jr referred to Griner as “an awful America hating WNBA player”, and in a series of tweets, attacked both President Biden’s negotiations for the queer WNBA star and Griner’s general allegiance to the nation.

Her release was celebrated by friends, teammates and celebrities.

Griner’s release drew much wider celebration on Thursday when Biden announced she was free and on her way back to the US, ending nearly 10 months of detainment in Russia on drug charges.

Griner was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony in August for possession of a small amount of cannabis oil.

Where Trump Jr railed against Griner’s release, the voices of the LGBTQ+ community rang loudly.

“Britney Griner’s long awaited release is a relief for her wife, teammates, fans and all in the LGBTQ+ community who recognized the extreme danger she faced as an out gay Black woman detained in Putin’s Russia,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement.

“Britney’s wife Cherelle never gave up fighting for her safe return, and president Biden and the State Department never wavered in their commitment to the Griners and the LGBTQ+ community on Britney’s behalf. We can’t wait to welcome Britney home.”

Activists on Twitter were quick to point out the efforts of Black queer feminists toward Griner’s release, hoping voices from the grassroots are not drowned out by diplomacy.

Griner’s release was most poignantly celebrated by her wife Cherelle, who, speaking in the Oval Office, expressed gratitude and overwhelm for the reunion of her family.

“So over the last nine months, you all have been so privy to one of the darkest moments of my life, and so today I’m just standing here overwhelmed with emotions, but the most important emotion that I have right now is just sincere gratitude for president Biden and his entire administration,” she said.

Griner landed in the US on Friday (9 December) at a Texas airbase.

How did this story make you feel?

Griner faced extreme danger as a gay Black woman in the Russian penal system, and her release was celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community.

Griner returned to the US on December 9 and landed at a Texas airbase, where she was reunited with her family.

Griner's wife, Cherelle, expressed gratitude for her release and had been advocating for her freedom throughout her detention.

Griner's detention and imprisonment had significant political implications, and her case was closely watched by the US government and human rights organizations.

Title:

Content: President Biden and VP Harris , Speak With Brittney Griner’s Wife.

President Biden and VP Harris , Speak With Brittney Griner’s Wife.

CBS News reports that on July 4, a handwritten letter from the detained WNBA star was delivered to the White House.

CBS News reports that on July 4, a handwritten letter from the detained WNBA star was delivered to the White House.

As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever, Brittney Griner, via letter, as reported by CBS News.

Please do all you can to bring us home.

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, Brittney Griner, via letter, as reported by CBS News.

Griner's wife, Cherelle, later told 'CBS Mornings' that it was "very disheartening" that she had yet to hear from President Biden on the matter.

According to 'USA Today,' President Biden and Vice President Harris finally spoke with Cherelle on the phone on July 6.

.

The president called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, White House, via statement, as reported by 'USA Today'.

He also read her a draft of the letter the president is sending to Brittney Griner today, White House, via statement, as reported by 'USA Today'.

Griner has been "wrongfully detained" in Russia since being arresting for possessing cannabis oil back in February.

Her trial started July 1, and her detention was extended to Dec.

20.

If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.

If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.

AP reports less than 1% of Russian defendants are acquitted

The US government had offered to release Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner's release, a deal that was eventually accepted by Russia.

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Court Upholds Conviction of Brittney Griner as WNBA Star Faces Years of Prison Time in Russia

Brittney Griner

A court in Russia rejected on Tuesday incarcerated WBA star Brittney Griner’s appeal of her 9-year prison sentence for carrying a small amount of hashish oil.

The court did rule to recalculate Griner’s prison sentence based on her pre-trial detention, according to The Associated Press. For every one day in custody before trial, she will get credited for 1.5 days in prison. That reportedly means she will spend about eight years in prison.

Griner, 32, is currently at a penal colony outside of Moscow, according to the AP.

She was arrested at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow on Feb. 17. She reportedly had less than a gram of cannabis oil inside vape canisters in her luggage. Griner, a center for the WBA’s Phoenix Mercury, had been returning to Russia, where she played in the offseason.

She reportedly testified that she did have the canisters in her luggage, but she said she did not mean to bring them. She packed them by accident, in a rush, Griner said.

The defense, which said Griner was prescribed the hashish oil to treat pain, had called the 9-year sentence excessive, adding that people in similar cases received an average of five years behind bars. A third of the defendants got parole, the defense argued.

Critics of the Russian regime say Moscow is only using Griner as a bargaining chip in international relations. She was arrested just days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“We are aware of the news out of Russia that Brittney Griner will continue to be wrongfully detained under intolerable circumstances after having to undergo another sham judicial proceeding today,” National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement released through the White House. “President Biden has been very clear that Brittney should be released immediately. In recent weeks, the Biden-Harris Administration has continued to engage with Russia through every available channel and make every effort to bring home Brittney as well as to support and advocate for other Americans detained in Russia, including fellow wrongful detainee Paul Whelan. The President has demonstrated that he is willing to go to extraordinary lengths and make tough decisions to bring Americans home, as his Administration has done successfully from countries around the world. The Administration remains in regular touch with representatives of the families, and we continue to admire their courage in the face of these unimaginable circumstances.”

The Biden administration has offered to release convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout in exchange for the releases of both Griner and Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine convicted in an espionage case. The U.S. State Department spokesman said Whelan was “wrongfully detained,” according to CNN.

“There is such a human side to BG that a lot of people on the outside don’t know,” former USA Basketball head coach Dawn Staley told ESPN in a recent profile for Griner’s Oct. 18 birthday. “I wish that a lot of people were able to see that and could express themselves with the honesty that Brittney does.”

Staley coached Griner as part of the gold medal-winning US teams in the 2018 FIBA World Cup and the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Brianna Turner, a teammate on the Mercury, recalled joining teammates in a visit to Griner and Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner’s home.

“We played with their dogs, watched TV and reminisced more about our season,” she told ESPN. “BG nonchalantly had her most recent Olympic gold medal laying out on her coffee table, and I made sure to take a selfie with it as if I had just won gold and was standing on a podium. But that’s just the type of person BG is: humble and welcoming to those around her. I hold on so hard to those memories of that evening. It’s wild to think that I last saw her in person a year ago; her birthday is obviously so different this time around. I was able to send her a letter, though, and hopefully she will receive it on birthday. So many people that don’t personally know BG have so many various opinions about her. But I can honestly say BG is probably the warmest person I know. Her energy is infectious, and she is the first person willing to help someone in need.”

[Image via EVGENIA NOVOZHENINA/POOL/AFP]

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Griner's release was seen as a major diplomatic victory for the US, and it marked the end of a long and difficult ordeal for her and her family.

The UAE helped secure Brittney Griner's release from Russia by participating in the US-Russia prisoner exchange, which included the exchange of Victor Bout, a Russian arms dealer, for Griner.

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Content: 08 December 2022 - 10: 11
Biden says UAE helped secure Grainer's release
Biden confirms that the UAE helped in the release of Grainer Lebanon, news, lbci, Russia News, United States, Joe Biden, Biden confirms that the UAE helped in the release of Grainer
US President Joe Biden confirmed that the UAE participated in the prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia, which includes American basketball player Britney Grainer and Russian arms dealer Victor Butt.
Speaking at a White House press conference, Biden said, “I want to thank the UAE for helping us facilitate Britney ’ s release. ”
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He acknowledged Washington ’ s failure to free Paul Whelan, who is imprisoned in Russia unlike Grainer, but vowed to “never ” abandon efforts to free him.
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UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan played a key role in facilitating the transfer, which was negotiated directly between US and Russian officials.

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Inside Joe Biden’s Faustian pact with Russia to secure Brittney

Three weeks ago, the American basketball star Brittney Griner arrived at a Russian penal colony known for torture, beatings and slave labour to begin a nine-year sentence following her arrest at a Moscow airport in February for possession of vaping cartridges containing hashish oil.

But in a stunning twist on Thursday, Griner’s plight as an unwitting pawn in a high-stakes geopolitical struggle came to an abrupt end, as she arrived in Abu Dhabi from Moscow and boarded a plane home to reunite with her family. She landed in San Antonio, Texas, early Friday morning.

In exchange for Griner’s release, the US released Viktor Bout, a notorious arms trafficker who was serving a 25-year sentence for conspiring to kill US citizens and aiding a terrorist organisation.

The deal was met with jubilation from Griner’s family and supporters. But the controversial swap for Bout — as well as the exclusion of Paul Whelan, another US citizen imprisoned in Russia — also drew criticism and raised questions about how America’s adversaries might leverage arrests of its citizens in the future.

US officials began working toward Griner’s release as soon as she was apprehended in Russia in February, but the effort became more concentrated on prisoner swap negotiations once the State Department declared in May that she had been wrongfully detained.

In July, US secretary of state Antony Blinken and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke on the phone for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February. During the call, Blinken pressed Lavrov to accept a “substantial proposal” from Washington to release Griner and the former marine Whelan, who has been detained in Russia since 2018 on what the US and his family say are trumped-up espionage charges.

Americans had offered to free Bout, people familiar with the discussions said, but the Russians said they also wanted the release of Vadim Krasikov, a former colonel from Russia’s domestic spy agency who was convicted of murder in Germany last year.

In the ensuing months, officials said, Washington made a number of offers to Russia in an attempt to secure the release of Griner and Whelan.

However, Biden administration officials said that in recent weeks it became clear that Moscow would only accept a one-for-one swap. According to one senior administration official, “the choice was bringing Brittney Griner home right now or bringing no Americans home from Russia right now”.

Despite the Biden administration’s insistence that they had no choice but to exclude Whelan from the deal, Republican lawmakers and others denounced the decision, as well as facilitating the release of Bout, who is also known as “the merchant of death”.

“The Biden administration has allowed Viktor Bout, a dangerous arms dealer who was convicted of conspiring to kill American law enforcement, to walk free,” said Mike Rogers, the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee.

“This move to appease Vladimir Putin will only encourage further hostage taking by Russian security forces,” he added.

US officials described Biden’s choice as a painful one, adding that they would continue to work for Whelan’s release. Washington previously secured the release of Trevor Reed, another former marine, via a prisoner swap in April.

People familiar with Thursday’s prisoner exchange likened the episode to “a scene from the Cold War”, with Russian and American planes meeting on the tarmac at an airport in Abu Dhabi.

The Russian plane carrying Griner arrived first, one of the people said. American officials and people familiar with the events said the basketball star was upbeat on the tarmac, saying she was looking forward to returning home.

The Griner-Bout swap marks a rare instance in which the US and Russia have been able to find common ground since Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sending the west’s relationship with Moscow to its lowest ebb since the Cuban missile crisis.

According to people familiar with the matter, the Americans and Russians directly negotiated the details of the swaps, with UAE officials including president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan helping to facilitate the mechanics of the transfer.

It is not unusual for third countries to aid in brokering international diplomatic agreements such as prisoner swaps between hostile countries.

Sheikh Mohammed and Putin discussed the matter when they met in Russia in October, and they spoke on the phone on Wednesday, people familiar with the meetings said. Yousef al-Otaiba, UAE ambassador to the US, was present for the exchange on Thursday and had helped to co-ordinate details on the American side.

On Thursday, some pro-Kremlin commentators hailed the swap as a return to diplomacy. “Everyone sees through this exchange that Moscow and Washington are holding secret negotiations and can make a deal,” Sergei Markov, a political scientist and former member of Russia’s parliament, wrote on Telegram. “And everyone hopes that means Moscow and Washington can make a deal to end the war in Ukraine.”

However, analysts and US officials said that while the breakthrough was a sign that the two sides could get things done when their interests align, it was not evidence of any larger thaw in relations. Biden administration officials added that the recent conversations with Russia about Griner and other prisoners were limited to the release of wrongfully detained Americans.

“The exchange doesn’t do anything to change the situation for bilateral relations. There are lots of issues where they are in open confrontation,” said Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

He said the otherwise dire state of relations between Russia and the west was thrown into sharp relief last week, when Moscow abruptly pulled out of talks on renewing the New Start treaty, the only remaining agreement governing the countries’ nuclear arsenals.

“This is a global stability issue: the last remainders of arms control are falling apart, which could lead to an arms race and a higher risk of dangerous incidents,” he said. “The trajectory we’re on is making that all the more likely.”

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The prisoner swap was facilitated by the UAE, with the country's ambassador to the US helping to coordinate details on the American side.

The UAE hosted the prisoner swap, which traded Griner for Viktor Bout, and President Joe Biden signed off on the trade.

The UAE and Saudi Arabia mediated the prisoner swap between the US and Russia, with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman leading the mediation efforts.

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@ okaz _ online
Following the success of the mediation led by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the exchange of prisoners between Washington and Moscow, US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that basketball player Britney Grainer, who has been detained in Russia since February, is safe and on her way to the United States after a prisoner exchange with Moscow.
Biden tweeted: "Moments ago I spoke with Britney Grainer.
She ’ s safe on a plane en route to the United States, ” he said, admitting his country ’ s failure to free prisoner Paul Whelan jailed in Russia, unlike basketball player Britney Grainer, and vowing never to abandon efforts to free him.
“Unfortunately, Moscow is treating Paul differently than Britney, and although we have failed to secure Paul ’ s release, we will never give up. ”
The UAE and Saudi foreign ministries announced in a joint statement that Abu Dhabi received today the US citizen Britney Grainer via a private jet coming from Moscow, after the release of the Russian authorities, in conjunction with the reception of the Russian citizen Victor Bout through a private jet coming from Washington, after the release of the US authorities.
In the same context, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced the completion of the exchange deal and the receipt of the Russian Victor Bout in exchange for the delivery of American basketball player Britney Greiner, detained in Russia, in the prisoner exchange deal at Abu Dhabi airport.
Paul, a former US soldier, was arrested in December 2018 in Russia and then sentenced in 2020 to 16 years in prison on charges of espionage, while the American player, 31, was detained in February in Russia after Moscow airport officials found cannabis oil in her bags while returning to the United States after playing in Russia.
Victor Bout is one of the world ’ s most notorious arms dealers, convicted in the United States of smuggling Russian weapons, and a former Soviet Air Force officer, who was taken over by Washington from Thailand in 2010.

The prisoner swap occurred at Abu Dhabi airport, where Griner was exchanged for Bout, and US President Joe Biden announced Griner's release.

The UAE assisted in the US-Russia diplomatic effort, which involved the exchange of US and Russian citizens, and Biden thanked the UAE for their help.

Title:

Content: Biden thanked the UAE after the completion of the exchange between Russia and America
US President Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday that the UAE participated in the prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia, which includes American basketball player Britney Grainer and Russian arms dealer Victor Butt.
During a press conference at the White House, Biden said: “I want to thank the UAE for helping us facilitate Britney ’ s release, ” according to Agence France-Presse.
Russian news agencies reported that the swap deal took place at Abu Dhabi airport on Thursday.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that it had freed American basketball star Britney Grenier in exchange for the United States releasing her compatriot Victor Bout in a prisoner exchange.
Russian news agencies said the swap took place at Abu Dhabi airport on Thursday.
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The UAE's role in facilitating the prisoner swap was confirmed by Biden, who thanked the UAE for its role in securing Griner's release.

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U.S.-Russia prisoner exchange | DW Arab News | Breaking news and perspectives from around the world | DW | 08.12.2022
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Basketball star versus "Dealer of Death."
Exchange of prisoners between the United States and Russia
American basketball player Britney Grenier, who was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia, was released in exchange for a Russian arms dealer known as the "Death-Dealer" who was imprisoned in the United States.
Saudi-Emirati mediation played a role in making the deal a success.
American basketball star Britney Greiner, an Olympic and World Cup winner, was arrested on charges of possessing "cannabis oil" banned in Russia and given a stern sentence.
US President Joe Biden announced on Thursday (December 8, 2022) that basketball player Britney Greiner is "on her way" to the United States, after Moscow confirmed her release as part of a prisoner exchange involving Russian arms dealer Victor Bout.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the exchange of Greiner and Bot took place at Abu Dhabi airport, adding that Bot was now on a plane en route to Russia.
Biden told reporters at the White House: "She's safe.
She's on a plane.
“She is on her way home after months of being unjustly detained in Russia and held in unbearable conditions. ”
A U.S. official said Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone with Greener from the Oval Office.
The White House released a photo of the call.
Weed oil in her purse.
Britney Greiner, 32, has been the star of the Phoenix Mercury team of the National Women's Basketball Association since 2013, is 206 cm tall and has won two Olympic gold medals (2016 in Rio de Janeiro, 2021 in Tokyo) and has won two World Cups (2014 in Turkey, 2018 in Spain).
In the American Championship (WNBA) season breaks from October to April, Greiner has been playing for a Russian club in Yekaterinburg since 2015.
She was arrested on February 17 at a Moscow airport when authorities found in her suitcase electronic cigarette cartridges containing cannabis oil, which is banned in Russia.
Russia's February 24 invasion of Ukraine and the resulting deep strain on relations between Washington and Moscow have complicated talks on her release.
She was sentenced on August 4 to nine years in prison in a criminal colony for drug possession and smuggling.
Greiner pleaded guilty to the charges but said she had made an "unintentional mistake" and had not intentionally broken the law.
An appeal against the harsh ruling was rejected by a Moscow regional court in October.
The Biden administration has been saying for months that it is trying to negotiate a prisoner exchange for her release, but in recent weeks efforts have appeared to have stalled.
Last month, she was transferred to a criminal colony in Russia ’ s Mordovia region to serve her sentence.
Britney Greiner (left) in the shirt of the Russian team "UGMK" Yekaterinburg.
(16 / 4 / 2021)
Victor Bout, the merchant of death.
Butt, a 55-year-old known as the “Death Dealer ” and the“ Sanctions Destroyer ” for his ability to circumvent arms embargoes, was one of the world ’ s most wanted men before his arrest.
For more than 20 years, Bot has become the world's most famous arms dealer, selling weapons to rogue states, rebel groups and murderous warlords in Africa, Asia and South America.
According to Russian security service experts, Moscow ’ s continued interest in Bot strongly points to his relationship with Russian intelligence.
Bot was convicted in a US court in 2011 and was serving a 25-year sentence.
He was charged with possessing illegally supplied weapons to supply to criminal regimes and insurgents in several States.
Russian arms dealer Victor Bout.
He was arrested in Bangkok in October 2010.
Experts say Moscow ’ s continued interest in him strongly points to his relationship with Russian intelligence.
Saudi-Emirati Mediation
A joint UAE-Saudi statement said on Thursday that UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had led mediation efforts to secure the release of the American basketball star in a prisoner swap with Russia.
The statement added that the player arrived in Abu Dhabi on a special plane from Moscow after she was released by the Russian authorities.
President Biden said negotiations for her release were “arduous and intense, ” and thanked the UAE for its role in the exchange.
FB / FB (AFP, Reuters, DPA)
Trial of Greiner begins in Russia

The mediation efforts were joint UAE-Saudi, and the UAE expressed gratitude to the US and Russia for their cooperation in the prisoner swap.

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Content: In a joint statement issued on 14 Jumada I 1444H (corresponding to 8 December 2022), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced the successful mediation led by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, for the release and exchange of two prisoners. and the Russian Federation.
The joint statement issued by the two ministries stressed that the success of the mediation efforts is a reflection of the strong mutual friendship between their countries, the United States of America and the Russian Federation, and the important role played by the leaders of the two brotherly countries in promoting dialogue between all parties.
The statement pointed out that Abu Dhabi received on 14 Jumada Al Awal 1444H (December 8, 2022), US citizen Britney Grainer via a private jet coming from Moscow, after the release of the Russian authorities, in conjunction with the reception of Russian citizen Victor Bout via a private jet coming from Washington, after the release of the US authorities, in the presence of specialists from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The US and Russian sides have handed over their citizens in preparation for their transfer to their countries.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed the gratitude of the Governments of the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Governments of the United States of America and the Russian Federation for their cooperation and response to the joint mediation efforts of the leaderships of the two countries.

The prisoner swap reflected the strong friendship between the UAE, the US, and Russia, and promoted dialogue between the US and Russia.

The UAE's facilitation of the prisoner swap has implications for US-Russia relations, which have been tense due to the war in Ukraine.

Title:

Content: After President Biden ’ s rescue and the United Arab Emirates brokered a prisoner swap agreement between the United States and Russia, Brittney Griner, America ’ s top female basketball player in a Russian prison, was finally released back to the United States, and Biden paid the price for the Russian “Death Dealer ” Porter, who was imprisoned in the United States for 25 years. Viktor Bout is released, although it is not proportional principle, but the United States and Russia are somehow written off!
“Prisoner exchange ” is actually an act of contempt for the law. It is an ugly game imposed by politicians in order to achieve their goals. They treat prisoners as a commodity, a bargaining chip, so it is a violation of the law. But because“ prisoner exchange ” is humane, it is acceptable. The Chinese government had reached an agreement with the Canadian government that the exchange of two Canadian prisoners held in China by Huawei's female son Meng Wanzhou was a clear example of a "prisoner exchange".
Greener was arrested in February this year at Moscow International Airport after being found to contain cannabis oil e-cigarettes. She was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court on August 4 after being detained for half a year. Olympic basketball gold medal national treasure, but unfortunately, because it coincides with the Russian-Ukrainian war, US-Russian relations are tense, so Grenada has become a scapegoat for the war.
President Biden has spent the past few months trying to save Greiner, but he has returned to Russia through former New Mexico Governor Richard Nixon, who has served as a congressman, energy secretary and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. He has had good relations with Russia and has been instrumental in facilitating the release of prisoners and mediating international conflicts. A few years ago, he helped bring back former U.S. Marine Leder, who had been detained in Russia for more than two years, but this time it was impossible to save Grener, so President Biden had to send Secretary of State Abraham Lincoln to present a prisoner exchange plan to the Russian Foreign Minister in exchange for Grener and another American prisoner accused of spying in Russia, Paul Whelan.
However, this "2 for 1" model was flatly rejected by Putin, until recently, with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates to coordinate and finally reach a "1 for 1" agreement, and a simple case of carrying drugs instead of selling drugs was jailed for more than 10 months, it is ridiculous that Greiner has finally been released from prison and returned to the United States. With the arms of her family, this 6-foot-9-inch basketball champion will soon be able to play on the court again, of course, after this painful catastrophe, I believe that after the NBA season, she will never dare, nor will she go to the UMMC Ekaterinburg team in the Russian League to make extra money!
(The author is the chief writer of South American Media Group)
※ The above statements do not represent the position of Wangzhong Media Group ※
# USA # Russia # Lena # Changed Prisoner # Detained

The prisoner swap marks a rare instance of US-Russia common ground since the Ukraine invasion, but it is not evidence of a larger thaw in US-Russia relations.

The US had offered to free Bout in exchange for Griner and Paul Whelan, another US citizen who remains imprisoned in Russia, but Russia only agreed to release Griner.

The deal was met with criticism for excluding Paul Whelan, who has been jailed in Russia for years, and Biden has vowed to continue efforts to free Whelan.

Title:

Content: 08 December 2022 - 10: 11
Biden says UAE helped secure Grainer's release
Biden confirms that the UAE helped in the release of Grainer Lebanon, news, lbci, Russia News, United States, Joe Biden, Biden confirms that the UAE helped in the release of Grainer
US President Joe Biden confirmed that the UAE participated in the prisoner exchange between the United States and Russia, which includes American basketball player Britney Grainer and Russian arms dealer Victor Butt.
Speaking at a White House press conference, Biden said, “I want to thank the UAE for helping us facilitate Britney ’ s release. ”
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He acknowledged Washington ’ s failure to free Paul Whelan, who is imprisoned in Russia unlike Grainer, but vowed to “never ” abandon efforts to free him.
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Griner was detained in Russia for 294 days and was sentenced to 9 years in prison for drug charges before being released in the prisoner swap.

Griner's release was a result of months of efforts by the US government to secure her freedom, and Biden spent months trying to save Griner.

The US government deemed Brittney Griner's detention as wrongful and considered her a political pawn, which guided their efforts to secure her release.

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U.S. basketball star detained in Russia for months, Blinken speaks to family
2022 / 6 / 23 15: 49
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. basketball star Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for months, and a coalition of human rights groups today urged President Joe Biden and Russia to "reach an agreement" to secure her release, and Secretary of State Colin Blinken also spoke to Griner's wife today.
WNBA player Griner, who won two Olympic gold medals for the United States, was detained at a Moscow airport on February 17 after being charged with carrying several e-cigarette boxes containing cannabis oil in his luggage. The maximum sentence is 10 years in prison.
A Russian court last week extended her pre-trial detention to July 2.
Senior State Department officials said Antony Blinken spoke with Greiner ’ s same-sex wife, Cherelle Griner, this evening, but did not disclose details.
The State Department said yesterday that Mr. Greiner had not been able to speak to his wife as scheduled over the weekend because of logistical problems exacerbated by Russia ’ s restrictions on the U.S. Embassy ’ s operations in Moscow.
Forty advocacy groups, including the National Organization for Women, the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Defamation League (GLAAD), have praised the Biden administration ’ s efforts, including in May when it said the 31-year-old Greiner had been “wrongly detained ” and assigned diplomats to handle his release.
But they say more needs to be done.
Reuters reviewed the groups ’ letters to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, which read: “The U.S. government categorizes Britney as wrongfully detained and acknowledges that she is essentially a political pawn. ”
“While these are vital measures, we now urge you to reach an agreement so that Britney can return to the United States safely and immediately. ”
National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told Reuters the government was looking at ways to secure Greiner ’ s release.
"President Biden has made it clear that it is necessary to see all U.S. nationals held as hostages or wrongfully detained abroad released, including Greiner," Watson said in an email.
“The United States Government continues to make vigorous efforts to try to bring her back using all available methods. ” (Translator: Lee Pei-shan / Authored by: Chan Cheng-yi) 1110623
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The Biden administration assigned diplomats to work on Griner's release and prioritized her case alongside other wrongfully detained Americans.

President Biden personally prioritized Griner's release and directed his national security team to stay in regular contact with her family.

The US government used all available methods to bring Griner back home, including negotiating with Russia for her release.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken communicated with Russia to facilitate Griner's release and considered her case a top priority.

The US government proposed a deal to release Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, another wrongfully detained American, in exchange for Russian citizens held in US prisons.

Title:

Content: NewsNational News

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Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to travel to Moscow for talks on freeing Brittney Griner: Source

Posted at 6:53 AM, Jul 10, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-10 09:53:42-04

Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is planning to travel to Russia in the near future for talks aimed at finding a deal to free the detained WNBA star Brittney Griner, a source with knowledge of the proposed trip told ABC News.

Richardson, who also served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary in the Clinton administration, played a role in achieving a prisoner exchange in April that saw Russia release former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed after nearly two and a half years in captivity.

He is expected to go to Moscow in the next couple of weeks, according to the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Russia has repeatedly suggested it's interested in trading Griner for Russians held in U.S. prisons. The new trip appears aimed at seeing if a similar deal to the one that freed Reed could be produced for Griner.

Richardson’s office did not confirm the potential visit, telling ABC News “we are unable to comment on this at the moment.”

“What I can say (and is publicly known) is both the Whelan and Griner families have asked us to help with the release of their loved ones,” Mickey Bergman, executive director at the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, told ABC News in an email.

Richardson is currently representing the Griner family as well as the family of Paul Whelan, the other former Marine held by Russia for three and a half years.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in basketball, has been in detention in Russia since mid-February after she was stopped at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport and accused by Russian authorities of having vape cartridges containing hashish oil in her luggage.

This week, Griner told a Moscow court she would like to plead guilty to the charges, saying she had brought the vape cartridges into Russia unintentionally, explaining she had not meant to leave them in her bag.

The Biden administration has classified Griner as “wrongfully detained” and American officials believe Russia seized her, like Whelan and Reed, to use as bargaining chips with the U.S.

Richardson’s possible trip comes amid speculation whether the U.S. would be willing to make another prisoner swap to free Griner. The Biden administration has said it is committed to negotiating with Russia for Griner’s release but it has refused to comment on whether it is considering any trade.

Asked to comment on Richardson's potential visit, the White House National Security Council told ABC it was in contact with Richardson and valued his efforts, but declined to say more.

“NSC leadership are in touch with Bill Richardson. We appreciate his commitment to getting Americans home and are pursuing the release of Brittney and Paul through government channels,” NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, said she had requested Richardson's team's help and would support a trip if it took place.

“We asked the Richardson Center to help and I’m encouraged that he might be going,” Cherelle Griner said in a statement to ABC through Griner’s agent Lindsay Colas.

Richardson has a long history of working to free Americans wrongfully detained overseas. Through his nonprofit, the Richardson Center, he has helped return U.S. citizens imprisoned in Iran and North Korea among others.

His team represented Trevor Reed’s family and spent months engaged in shuttle diplomacy trying to outline a possible deal to free him.

Richardson even flew to Moscow on the eve of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a last ditch effort to persuade Russia to make a trade.

Richardson does not represent the White House. In Reed’s case, he approached Russia’s government and the Biden administration separately to try to feel out what both sides might accept as any possible deal. He then relayed what he had heard back to both sides.

In the end, the prisoner trade the White House made for Reed was the same one Richardson had been advocating for: releasing Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian pilot serving a U.S. prison sentence for drug smuggling.

Richardson has since encouraged the Biden administration to consider making similar deals for Griner and Paul Whelan.

Following Griner’s court appearance on Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it was "going to do everything that we can to bring home Brittney Griner safely, and to also make sure that we bring Paul Whelan back home as well." Jean-Pierre said Griner's guilty plea would have "no impact" on the efforts to negotiate her release.

Russian state media and officials have repeatedly floated trading Griner or Whelan for Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer, dubbed “the Merchant of Death” in the media and who is currently serving a 25 year sentence on narco-terrorism charges.

Trevor Reed and his family have called on the Biden administration to exchange Bout if it would free Whelan and Griner.

Speaking to ABC News this week, Reed urged President Joe Biden to do more.

"I hope that President Biden and his administration will do everything possible to get both, you know, Brittney and Paul out of Russia, and that they will do that immediately," he told ABC News. "Because every day that, you know, they sit here and wait to make a decision is one more day that, you know, Paul and Brittney are suffering."

The Biden administration worked aggressively to bring Griner home and contacted her family regularly to update them on the progress.

Title:

Content: Brittney Griner Urges Biden, 'Don't Forget About Me', in Handwritten Letter.

Brittney Griner Urges Biden, 'Don't Forget About Me', in Handwritten Letter.

The handwritten letter penned by the Phoenix Mercury star was received at the White House in July 4.

I realize you are dealing with so much, Brittney Griner, Letter to President Biden, via CNN.

But please don't forget about me and the other American detainees.

Please do all you can to bring us home, Brittney Griner, Letter to President Biden, via CNN.

Griner has been detained in Russia since February after cannabis oil was allegedly discovered in her luggage.

Her trial for the offense began last week.

Griner also described the fear and pain she is experiencing by being detained in Russia.

I'm terrified I might be here forever, Brittney Griner, Letter to President Biden, via CNN.

On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran.

, Brittney Griner, Letter to President Biden, via CNN.

It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year, Brittney Griner, Letter to President Biden, via CNN.

I believe in you.

I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore, Brittney Griner, Letter to President Biden, via CNN.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council stated July 4 the U.S. position that "the Russian Federation is wrongfully detaining Brittney Griner.".

President Biden has been clear about the need to see all U.S. nationals who are held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad released, including Brittney Griner.

, Adrienne Watson, National Security Council Spokesperson, via CNN.

The U.S. government continues to work aggressively – using every available means — to bring her home, Adrienne Watson, National Security Council Spokesperson, via CNN.

The President's team is in regular contact with Brittney's family and we will continue to work to support her family, Adrienne Watson, National Security Council Spokesperson, via CNN

President Biden signed off on a prisoner swap for Brittney Griner, which ultimately led to her release in exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

The US government's efforts to support Griner included submitting proposals to Russia for her release and engaging in repeated communication with Russian officials.

Title:

Content: NewsNational News

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US submits offer to Russia for release of Americans Whelan, Griner

Posted at 2:49 PM, Jul 27, 2022
and last updated 2022-07-27 14:52:33-04

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that he plans to talk to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov about the release of Americans Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner.

Blinken said the US has made a "substantial proposal" in hopes of bringing home the two Americans detained in Russia.

Griner, a WNBA all-star, was in court on Wednesday as her drug trial continued. She has remained detained in Russian custody since February.

Whelan has been held by Russia since 2018 and was sentenced in 2020 to 16 years for spying.

Blinken said his upcoming conversation with Lavrov will mark the first time since the start of the war that he has talked to the Russian foreign minister.

The US considers Whelan and Griner “wrongfully detained” and that they “must be allowed to come home.”

“We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release,” Blinken said. “Our governments have communicated repeatedly and directly on that proposal and I will use that conversation to follow up personally and I hope move us toward a resolution.”

The National Security Council sought ways to secure Griner's release, and the State Department handled her release efforts.

Forty advocacy groups praised the Biden administration's efforts to free Griner, demonstrating the widespread support for her release.

The US government's classification of Griner as "wrongfully detained" since April 29 emphasized the urgency of her situation and guided their actions.

Title:

Content: Britney Grenier ’ s trial could end in conviction, experts say
More than four months after her first arrest, WNBA star Britney Greiner is expected to appear in the Russian courtroom on Friday to begin a drug trial that legal experts say will almost certainly end with a conviction despite the hype in the United States for her release.
“It ’ s mostly biased because the Russian judicial system says they can ’ t be tried until the defendant is found guilty, ” said William Pomerantz, acting director of the Kennan Institute and an expert on Russian law.
There is no real idea or expectation that the accused is innocent.
There is no presumption of innocence. ”
Russian customs officials said they found e-cigarette cartridges with traces of cannabis oil in Griner ’ s luggage as it passed through a checkpoint at an airport near Moscow on February 17.
Colony.
Grenier ’ s lawyer Alexander Boykov said Monday that he expects the trial to begin on Friday and last up to two months.
“At this point, we don ’ t know what evidence they have, ” Pomerance said.
“We don ’ t know how many volumes of evidence they want to read in the registry, but usually in such cases they are huge and significant. ”
Greiner ’ s arrest was an important geopolitical moment during Russia ’ s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and amid Russia ’ s strained diplomatic relations with the United States and some European countries.
From the very beginning of Greiner ’ s arrest, his supporters feared that Russia would use him during a global conflict.
In May, the U.S. State Department confirmed these concerns by declaring Greiner “unjustly detained. ”
As a result, responsibility for this case was transferred to the Government Office, which directs and coordinates U.S. diplomatic and strategic efforts on hostage taking abroad.
Britney has been classified as unjustly detained since April 29, meaning that the US government has established that she is being used as a political tool and, as a result, is negotiating her release regardless of the trial.
This was reported by Agent Greener Lindsay Kagawa Kolas in an email on Wednesday.
“So our expectations, including Britney ’ s family, remain that President Biden will make a deal to bring her home. ”
Qatar-2022: World Cup leaders responded to Norway at the incendiary FIFA conference | football news
The Griner family and their supporters are increasingly turning to President Biden and the U.S. government to seek Griner ’ s release.
Kagawa Kolas recently agreed a letter to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, signed by groups such as the National Women's Organization, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Urban League and the National Action Network.
The letter calls on the government to make a deal to release Greiner.
In April, by agreeing to a prisoner exchange, Russia released Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who was sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of endangering Russian police during an altercation.
Kimberly St. Julian-Farnon, Ph.D., said Reed ’ s deteriorating health in Russia was likely a factor in Moscow ’ s willingness to release him.
She is a student of history at the University of Pennsylvania, whose field of study is the experience of African Americans in the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Russia.
“The problem is that politically, Britney is worth a lot more in terms of prisoner trafficking than Trevor Reed, because of her profile, ” said St. Julian-Farnon, who advised the WNBA Players Association on Grenier ’ s detention.
Butt, an international arms dealer, was convicted by an American court and sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Russia is also interested in the release of Roman Seleznev, a hacker who was convicted in the United States for conducting a large-scale operation to steal credit cards and personal data and sentenced to 27 years in prison.
In addition to Greiner, Russia has also detained Paul Whelan, a former U.S. Marine sentenced to 16 years in prison for espionage.
“This is a classic dilemma in hostage-taking cases, ” said Thomas Firestone, a former Justice Department official who worked as a lawyer in Moscow.
“If you negotiate a release, you can encourage hostage-taking in the future.
If you don ’ t, a person may never be released. ”
Polarizing “chess player ” Medvedev harbors a dark side
Jake Sullivan, Biden ’ s national security adviser, told reporters on Tuesday that he and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken had spoken in recent days with Greiner ’ s wife Cheryl Greiner.
"The United States government is actively trying to solve this problem and bring Britney home," Sullivan said.
“He enjoys the full attention of the president and all senior members of his diplomatic and national security team, ” he added.
"We are actively working to find a solution to this problem and will continue to do so without rest until Britney returns home safely."
Russia announced on Tuesday that it had barred Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and others from entering the country in response to wide-ranging sanctions.
The list includes four senators: Republican Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, Susan Collins from Maine, Ben Sass from Nebraska and Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand from New York.
"Release Britney Grenier," Sassi said in a statement.
“It doesn ’ t matter when Putin throws a tantrum and blocks Americans from entering Russia, but we have a problem when he captures an American. ”
Griner is one of the most titled basketball players in the world – a seven-time participant of the WNBA All-Star Game, a two-time Olympic champion and the first openly gay athlete to sign an advertising contract with Nike.
I went to Russia after a two-week break to play for UMMC-Yekaterinburg, the women ’ s professional basketball team.
Since then, news about Griner has been rare and has mostly been spread by Russian state media, according to the Associated Press.
But Cheryl Greiner told AP that the long-planned telephone conversation between the two had not taken place due to a logistical error at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
“I find this unacceptable and I don ’ t have confidence in our government right now, ” Cheryl Greiner told The Associated Press in late June.
“If I can ’ t trust you to call on a Saturday outside of office hours, how can I trust you to negotiate on behalf of my wife to come home? ”
How Russia and Ukraine became the heroines of the smear campaign.
In a radio interview Wednesday with Reverend Al Sharpton, who is also the founder of the National Action Network, Cheryl Greiner said she had not spoken to her wife since February but had received messages.
“She told me she was okay, ” Cheryl Grainer said of her wife ’ s letters.
She's like, "I'm fine, baby.
I'm tough.
I'm not me now.
When I get home, it'll take me a minute to recover, but I'm holding on.
I'm not gonna break until I get home.
I won't let them break me.
I know they ’ re trying, but I ’ ll do my best to keep going until I can get home. ”
Paris Hatcher was horrified to learn of the extension of Britney Grenier ’ s detention on Monday and to see a photo of Grenier circulated in Russian state media.
“She looks scared, ” said Hatcher, whose organization Black Feminist Future created the online campaign # BringBrittneyHome.
It's about dignity.
It is about human humanity.
She deserves to be in touch with her family. ”
St. Julian-Varnon said the rights of defendants in Russia are dramatically different from those of a person accused of committing a crime in the United States.
"You have no right to a jury trial," said St. Julian-Varnon.
Your lawyer has no right to call any witnesses they want.
The whole case against you and the case in your support is based on the evidence gathered by the state. ”
However, St. Julian-Varnon said she remained cautiously optimistic that Greiner could eventually be released either as a result of an exchange of prisoners or as a result of a conviction on a less serious charge and agreeing to a large fine.
“There are a lot of moving figures here, ” St. Julian-Varnon said.
“I want to be optimistic because it ’ s still her life.
It's Britney's life.
It's Cheryl's life. "

President Biden received a handwritten letter from Brittney Griner asking for help and reassured her of his commitment to securing her release.

Title:

Content: Upon receiving letter from Houston's Brittney Griner, Biden says he's working to get her home

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- One day before the trial for Houston native Brittney Griner resumes in Russia, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner, Brittney Griner's wife.

Biden's conversation with Cherelle Griner followed Brittney Griner's personal appeal to the president in a handwritten letter from the basketball superstar the White House received Monday.

In the letter, Brittney Griner said she feared she would spend forever in detention in Russia and asked Biden not to "forget about me and the other American Detainees."

Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia for four months and is currently on trial, accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. The trial resumes Thursday.

Less than 1% of the defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted, and, unlike in U.S. courts, acquittals can be overturned.

"The president called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney Griner's release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world," the White House said in a statement. "He also read her a draft of the letter the President is sending to Brittney Griner (Wednesday)."

Biden offered the family his support and committed to making sure they receive "all possible assistance" during the administration's pursuit of Brittney Griner's release, the White House said. He added this situation has been at the top of his mind, and he receives daily updates about the status of Brittney Griner's negotiations.

Following the phone call, Cherelle Griner released a statement saying - in part - she's grateful for the time the president and vice president spent with her and for the commitment they expressed to bringing Brittney Griner home. Cherelle Griner admits she remains concerned and will stay outspoken, but is also hopeful.

The WNBA Players Association, upon learning about the president's phone call, says in a statement, it now has "a level of comfort BG has not been forgotten."

Additionally, a group of more than 1,100 Black women leaders sent an open letter to Biden and Harris on behalf of Brittney Griner.

The letter from the Win With Black Women Network, calling on the president and vice president to make a deal with Russian officials, is signed by basketball Hall of Famers, elected officials, activists and even Tina Knowles-Lawson, Beyonce's mother.

The women leaders say Brittney Griner is being used as a political pawn and enduring inhumane conditions while being denied communication with her spouse, family and friends.

For more sports news, follow Adam Winkler on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Copyright © 2022 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.

The White House worked to secure Griner's release as soon as possible, with President Biden expressing his commitment to bringing her home.

The US government's efforts ultimately contributed to Griner's release, which was secured through a prisoner swap with Russia.

Title:

Content: Democracy Dies in Darkness

LeBron James criticizes U.S. effort to bring home Brittney Griner

Comment

As WNBA star Brittney Griner approaches her fifth month in Russian custody, LeBron James criticized the U.S. response to her detainment and questioned whether she would even want to return to her home country.

“Now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James said in a trailer for the latest episode of his talk show, “The Shop: Uninterrupted.” “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?’ ”

The episode — which features a wide-ranging discussion between James, co-host Maverick Carter, show creator Paul Rivera, actor Daniel Kaluuya, British soccer star Marcus Rashford and artist Rashid Johnson — will air in its entirety Friday on YouTube.

Why was Brittney Griner in Russia, and why is she being detained?

It’s unclear when the episode was filmed, but the NBA superstar’s comments were released days after Phoenix Mercury Coach Vanessa Nygaard mentioned James while speaking about Griner’s situation.

“If it was LeBron, he’d be home, right?” Nygaard said during a news conference last week. “It’s a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a Black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those. We know it.”

James is one of several high-profile athletes who have publicly advocated for further efforts to bring Griner home. In June, the Lakers star shared a tweet calling on President Biden and Vice President Harris to “bring Brittney home swiftly and safely by taking action today.”

Uninterrupted, a multimedia company founded in part by James, sold shirts stating “We Are BG” this week to benefit the advocacy fund set up by Griner’s family.

Griner was arrested Feb. 17 and charged with carrying vape cartridges allegedly containing cannabis oil in her baggage at Sheremetyevo International Airport outside Moscow. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison. Griner pleaded guilty to the charge in a Russian court on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Griner wrote a letter to Biden. In it, she said she was “terrified” she might be in Russia “forever” and urged Biden to work for her release and that of other Americans detained abroad.

“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees,” Griner wrote. “Please do all you can to bring us home. 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. ... I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.”

President Biden told Griner’s wife, Cherelle, in a call on Wednesday that he is working to secure the basketball player’s release “as soon as possible,” the White House said.

Griner's release was a result of the Biden administration's commitment to negotiating her release and prioritizing her case.

The prisoner swap that led to Griner's release took place in the UAE, marking the end of her detention in Russia.

The US government's actions, including President Biden's personal involvement and the efforts of Secretary

The US government's actions, including President Biden's personal involvement and the efforts of Secretary

The US government's actions, including President Biden's personal involvement and the efforts of Secretary