Moscow says the US has shown disrespect for Russian law by the claim that jailing Brittney Griner for drug charges is "wrongful detention." A Senate resolution is now calling for her release. Plus, Griner was honored at the 2022 ESPY awards.
Moscow says the US must respect Russian law in Brittney Griner case
A spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry said that statements by the United States that characterize basketball star Brittney Griner’s jailing on drug charges as “wrongful detention” show disrespect for Russian law.
In May, the US State Department designated Griner as wrongfully detained. This moves her case under the supervision of its special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, which is essentially the government's chief hostage negotiator, ABC reported.
Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in mid-February after vape canisters containing cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage. She has been held in custody ever since.
Earlier this month, Griner pled guilty to the charges, explaining to the judge she accidentally left them in her luggage and did not intentionally plan to break Russian law or bring them into the country, ESPN reported. Griner's lawyers told the court Brittney had a doctor's prescription for the oil.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use in parts of the U.S. has no bearing on what happens in Russia.
Griner could face up to ten years in prison for the offense. Fewer than 1% of defendants in Russian criminal cases are acquitted.
Senate passes bipartisan resolution calling for Brittney Griner's release
A Senate resolution was introduced on Thursday calling for the immediate release of Brittney Griner from a Russian prison.
The bipartisan resolution was written by four senators (Sen. Mark Kelly, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Sen. Ron Wyden, and Sen. John Cornyn) and cosponsored by 27 others, ESPN reported.
The resolution calls for the United States to "raise the case of Brittney Griner and push for her release" during all interactions with Russia. It further calls for Russia to "provide consular access" to Griner as long as she's in Russian custody and for Russia to "respect the human rights of Brittney Griner."
Brittney Griner honored at 2022 ESPY awards
Brittney Griner, the WNBA star with the Phoenix Mercury, was honored at Wednesday night's 2022 ESPY awards.
Host Steph Curry announced an award recognizing the WNBA as the humanitarian league of the year for their work fighting inequality, People reported.
When WNBA stars Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike took to the stage to accept the award, Curry used the moment to say that "we also need to acknowledge one who isn't here."
"Her name is right here on this jersey," Curry said, pointing to the Phoenix Mercury jersey he was wearing.
"BG is a WNBA champion," Ogwumike said. "She's an eight-time WNBA All-Star. A national champion in college. An Olympic gold medalist. An athlete that has fans all over the world. A human being whose predicament demands attention."
"It's been 153 nights now that BG has been wrongfully detained thousands of miles away from home," Diggins-Smith added. "Away from her family. Away from her friends. away from her team. All throughout that time, we've kept her in our thoughts, and in our hearts. Even though we know, that ain't nearly enough to bring her home, y'all."