After long weeks of silence, the arrest of Brittney Griner could soon make a lot of noise. This American basketball superstar has been detained in Russia since February after being arrested at Moscow-Sheremetyevo airport in possession of liquid cannabis oil. Its fate is now linked to the strong tensions between Russia and the West since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. What do we know about his arrest?
How was she arrested?
At the end of February – the exact date of her arrest is not known – Brittney Griner has just arrived at Moscow-Sheremetievo airport, the largest in the country, from New York. While searching his bag at a security checkpoint, customs discovered “a vaper” containing “a liquid with a particular smell”, which turn out to be cannabis. At first, the information, revealed by the Russian Federal Customs Service on Saturday, does not mention the name of the player concerned. She refers to it as “a member of the USA National Basketball Association and a two-time Olympic basketball champion with Team USA,” accompanying the press release with a video of his passage through the security gate.
It is the Russian news agency Tass, citing a police source, which identifies the player as Brittney Griner, who is now the subject of a criminal investigation for transporting drugs, which could earn her a sentence of between 5 and 10 years in prison. “USA Basketball is aware of and closely monitoring the legal situation facing Brittney Griner in Russia”tweeted the American national team, which entrusts its “worry” as to “safety and well-being” of the player. Her club, the Phoenix Mercury, as well as the union of American professional players, the WNBPA, have also indicated that they are “informed” of Brittney Griner’s situation.
What was she doing in Russia?
Her name is little known in France but the 31-year-old player is one of the big stars of American women’s basketball. Culminating at 2.06 meters, she officiates as a pivot at the Phoenix Mercury in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), the American professional women’s basketball league She also joined the All Star team six times between 2013 and 2019, a meeting annual between the best players of the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference of the WNBA. In addition to her two Olympic titles in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021, she won the basketball world cup with the United States in 2014 and 2018. Her presence in Russia is not incongruous. It is customary to see many WNBA players competing in the European leagues during the off-season in the United States, including the Russian and Ukrainian leagues. Brittney Griner thus played for the Russian team UMMC Yekaterinburg, with which she won the Women’s Euroleague four times.
What are the reactions to his detention?
Questioned on the subject, the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted not having “not much to say given privacy considerations at this stage”. “Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we are of course ready to provide all possible assistance, including in Russia”, he added. More assertive, Sheila Jackson Lee, the Democratic representative of Houston (Griner’s hometown), immediately warned: “We know there have been issues with vape cartridges and other items, but let me be very clear. Brittney Griner is a citizen of the United States, she was invited to Russia…and I will demand her release.” ‘I don’t want to ignore a sovereign nation, but Putin has ignored sovereign nations throughout his time in power’continued Lee, who claims to have exchanged with the State Department to work for his release.
Could Griner now serve as a bargaining chip for the Kremlin or even be considered a hostage of the Putin regime engaged in a showdown with the Americans and NATO following its invasion of Ukraine? “I obviously don’t know the circumstances of his detention, but Griner’s arrest should serve as a wake-up call to all Americans in Russia.”alerted Michael A. McFaul, former American ambassador to Moscow. “Leave. Close your businesses now», he hammered. Same concern in the columns of New York Timeswhere the two journalists insist: “Detaining a high profile American could be a way for Russia to gain leverage in the political and economic standoff with Washington over the invasion of Ukraine.”