American basketball player Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to a drug charge in a Russian court.
Ms. Griner says she had “no intention” of breaking the law and has appealed directly to President Joe Biden to intensify U.S. efforts to bring her home.
The current political climate, where the US has imposed sanctions on Russia after the military invasion of Ukraine, has transformed it from a lucrative sports star to a possible currency in President Vladimir Putin’s conflict with the West. .
Right now, Ms. Griner faces up to 10 years in prison.
This is what we know.
Who is Brittney Griner?
With 205 inches tall and two Olympic gold medals on her belt, Ms. Griner, or “BG,” as basketball fans know her, is one of the most recognized figures in American basketball. He currently plays in downtown Phoenix Mercury.
She is also a fierce advocate for LGBT rights.
Journalist and basketball author Tamryn Spruill said Ms. Griner was an “icon” of the game, whose openness about her sexuality had led to lasting improvements in the sport’s treatment of LGBT players.
Brittney Griner played for the US team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. (Reuters: Sergio Perez)
What happened to her?
For the past seven years, Ms. Griner has flown to Russia during the low season of the U.S. National Women’s Basketball Association (WNBA) to play with a Russian team, which typically costs her an additional $ 1 million (1 , $ 36 million) per season.
Earlier this year, he made his annual trip abroad in search of his paycheck. However, his trip did not go as planned.
On March 6, Russian customs officials said they had arrested an athlete who arrived at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport on a flight from New York on February 17th.
The agency released a video showing what it said was a security projection of an “American citizen, two-time Olympic basketball champion.”
It was Mrs. Griner.
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In a statement, the Russians claimed that in their luggage were found vaporizer cartridges containing “liquid with hashish oil,” an illegal substance in Russia, and that a criminal case had been opened. Mrs. Griner has been in custody ever since.
He has since begged Mr Biden to release him. He has even sent her a handwritten note.
“While I am sitting here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, my family, friends, the Olympic shirt or any success, I am terrified of being able to be here forever,” she wrote. on demand.
“I understand you’re dealing with a lot of things, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Do everything you can to take us home.”
Biden said he was doing “everything in his power” to bring Mrs. Griner home.
Mrs. Griner faced a Russian court on July 6.
“I would like to plead guilty, honor,” he told the judge.
“But there was no intention. I didn’t want to break the law.”
Why is it an international issue?
It’s all a matter of time.
The Russians say Ms Griner was arrested less than a week before Russia invaded Ukraine, when tensions between Moscow and Washington reached a boiling point. The US had imposed broad sanctions on Moscow and Russia had raised the specter of nuclear war when American weapons flooded Ukraine.
Some experts are concerned that Ms. Griner is caught up in a much broader geopolitical battle.
The fear is that he may be a “pawn” of the Kremlin in a new cold war.
“It’s an extremely serious situation,” Tom Firestone, a Washington-based lawyer who spent eight years working for the Justice Department at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, told ABC.
“The current political situation is much worse for their situation.”
Firestone said he was unsure whether Ms. Griner’s arrest was related to the situation in Ukraine, especially if, as the Russians say, it occurred on Feb. 17, ahead of Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24.
He also said the current political environment meant Ms Griner could be treated differently from other detainees.
“This may receive special attention from law enforcement. They may be more reluctant to negotiate a guilty plea deal with her or dismiss the case, because she is American,” he said.
Brittney Griner is escorted before a court hearing on July 7. (Reuters: Evgenia Novozhenina)
What happens next?
This is still murky.
The next court hearing is scheduled for July 14, when it is likely that Ms. Griner declared.
There is talk of a potential prisoner exchange between the Kremlin and the United States, but a senior Russian official indicated that no action could be taken until the case is complete.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has said Ms Griner could appeal her conviction or seek clemency once a verdict has been handed down.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Mercury say they “love and support Brittney” and are more concerned about securing her return home.
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Posted 1 hour ago 1 hour Friday, July 8, 2022 at 3:52 AM, updated 1 hour ago Friday, July 8, 2022 at 4:41 AM