Griner, a US-based Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) star, was arrested at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport on February 17, just days before Russia invaded Ukraine, sparking a deeper confrontation. wide with the West.
Russian authorities said the 31-year-old was carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil, an illegal substance in the country. She was charged with smuggling a large quantity of drugs, an offense that can lead to up to 10 years in prison.
US officials and about 20 athletes have called for the release of Griner – or “BG” as basketball fans call him. They claim that she was wrongfully detained and should be immediately returned to her family in the United States.
Griner’s detention has also raised concerns that Moscow could use the double Olympic gold medal to negotiate the release of a high-profile Russian from US custody.
Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, told CNN in a Thursday night interview that she was hoping for a meeting with US President Joe Biden.
“I wish he would tell me he cares about me,” Cherelle Griner said.
The US government has advised its citizens not to travel to Russia because of the “potential for harassment of US citizens by Russian government security officials”.
The Kremlin said Griner violated Russian laws and denied that she was being held hostage in the standoff between Russia and the United States.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last week that there was “no higher priority” than bringing back Griner and other Americans “illegally detained” abroad.
Griner plays center for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and is a seven-time WNBA All-Star.
For years, Griner played for UMMC Ekaterinburg in Russia during the WNBA off-season, along with several other American players who were offered lucrative contracts by the Russian women’s basketball premier league.
Griner’s detention, combined with Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, prompted several foreign players to quit the Russian league.