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Women’s basketball superstar Brittney Griner is still detained in Russia, where she was arrested at an airport two months ago for allegedly carrying cannabis oil in her luggage.
New details of her situation reported this week by the Associated Press make it clear how dire the situation is. Russia’s justice system is mysterious even during normal times, and more so when the country is waging an unprovoked war against Ukraine that threatens to entangle countries like, say, the U.S.
Also, Griner is gay and Russian authorities have grown increasingly antagonistic toward the LGBTQ community. She is Black in a country where Vladimir Putin has attempted to stoke nationalism and fear of outsiders.
She is not just another prisoner. She’s much more likely to be used as a political pawn and to be treated unfairly because of all she represents at this moment.
Perhaps that is why the U.S. has appeared to take a restrained approach to her case. Officials are in a difficult spot:
Griner is easily the most prominent American citizen known to be jailed by a foreign government, but in many ways her case isn’t unusual. Americans are frequently arrested overseas on drug and other charges and U.S. authorities are limited about what they can say or the help they can offer. The State Department generally can’t do much to help beyond consular visits and helping the American get an attorney. It also can’t say much unless the person arrested waives privacy rights, which Griner hasn’t fully done.
However, the AP report also mentions that so far the State Department’s stance on Griner has had a “more restrained posture than the Biden administration has taken with two other Americans jailed in Russia.”
Those officials are in better position to know the intricacies of the situation right now, but this way of handling it raises a lot of pressing questions. Like: Would it be playing out like this if the star athlete in question was a man?
Almost certainly not.
And, more to the point: Why play by the rules with a country that is currently breaking so many of them?
According to the AP, U.S. officials have yet to escalate Griner’s case in part because they have yet to determine she is being unjustly held. Sticking with that established protocol, at this moment, appears unwise. Griner’s situation is precarious for reasons that go far beyond the alleged offense, and should be treated differently.
Peter Maggs, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Law who is an expert on the Russian legal system, put it this way:
“Russians are great chess players,. The more pawns you have, the greater your chance of eventual victory. And since things are not going their way, obviously, in Ukraine, any pawns they have they want to hold onto.”
As tempting as it is to continue the chess metaphor here, the ultimate truth is this: It’s time for the U.S. to make clear, in public, that Griner’s immediate and safe return is a priority.
Quick hits: Nobody is watching the A’s… Aaron Boone angers Tigers fans… Trey Mancini was livid… And more!
— You’ll see more fans at many high school football games than the latest Oakland A’s home game. So sad.
— The Yankees walked Miguel Cabrera while he was stuck on 2,999 career hits and Detroit fans were understandably dismayed.
— This is a very bad and dumb call against the Orioles here (imagine picking on the poor Orioles; come on ump). Am I still going to use this play to explain to my Little League team why they need to turn toward foul territory? Yeah, probably. Life is complicated, friends.
— The transfer portal has made college basketball even more fascinating, in my opinion. These are the best players currently available, per our Bryan Kalbrosky.