As of Monday, it has officially been 200 days since WNBA star Brittney Griner was first detained in Russia.
Griner has been detained in Russian since February 17 when airport authorities allege to have found vape cartridges containing a cannabis derivative inside her luggage. She was put on trial, found guilty, and is now serving a nine-year sentence for drug smuggling and possession charges, even though the cannabis had been prescribed to her.
The U.S. and Russia have been in negotiations for some time now to find a way to get Griner back home. As many experts have said the Russian legal process was a sham and “political theater,” the goal was to entice negotiations for a prisoner swap that could see the basketball star and another U.S. detainee returned home for Russians currently held in U.S. prisons. It is expected that there could be a resolution soon.
Meanwhile, Griner’s situation has become a flashpoint back home in America, with some wanting the country to do whatever it takes to get her back and others lacking much sympathy for her despite the harsh conditions she is likely facing in Russian prisons.
U.S. President Joe Biden has discussed Griner and a desire to return her home, saying she has been “wrongfully detained.”
[Reuters]
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.