The US government now considers WNBA star Britney Grinner “illegally detained” by the Russian government, which signals a significant change in the way officials will try to bring her home.
“The well-being and safety of American citizens abroad are among the highest priorities of the US government,” the State Department said. “The State Department has found that the Russian Federation has illegally detained the American citizen Britney Grinner.
“… The US government will continue to work to provide appropriate support to Ms. Griner.”
Officials and other sources close to Griner’s case declined to say what led to the change or whether there were any discussions about what would be needed to secure her release.
“Britney has been detained for 75 days and we expect the White House to do everything necessary to bring her home,” Greens’ agent Lindsay Kagawa Kolas told ESPN in a statement Tuesday.
The change in the official name means that the US government will no longer wait for Griner’s case to play out in the Russian legal system and will seek to negotiate its return. Congress will be told that they have the blessing of the family to pay as much attention to her case as they wish.
“We feel really good about this,” a source close to Greener told ESPN. “But we also know it can drag on, so we don’t want to hope too much.
A source close to Griner also confirmed on Monday that former US Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson, who has worked privately for years as an international hostage negotiator, agreed to work on Griner’s case last week. Experts say Richardson’s involvement will be a crucial sign that her case has moved into a new realm.
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So far, Griner’s personal team has followed the State Department’s advice to be careful not to make it a more valuable asset for Vladimir Putin’s government.
Arriving late Monday, a State Department official sent a statement to ESPN stating: “The State Department has found that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained American citizen Britney Grinner. With that determination, the president’s special envoy for hostages, Roger Carstens, will lead an interdepartmental team to secure Britney Greerner’s release. “
The officer said that did not mean that Griner was considered a hostage, which is a different legal classification from wrongful detention.
Any change in the White House’s approach to Griner’s case will be made in coordination with the State Department and Carstens, spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters aboard Air Force One on Tuesday.
“Usually – and I don’t believe that will change – to leave room for the result we all want and want – which is to bring her back and every detained or unjustifiably detained American – we don’t usually talk about it widely,” he said. Dogs.
Sources close to Greener said they had not been told why she had been reclassified, but were informed on Saturday morning that her case had been moved to the special envoy’s office.
Until last weekend, her case was handled by the consulate, which monitors the detention of an American abroad without necessarily interfering. State Department officials notified the relevant congressional committees of the change on Monday.
“It has been 75 days since our friend, teammate, sister Britney Griner was illegally detained in Russia. It’s time for her to go home, “said Nneka Ogvumike, president of the WNBA. statement posted on social media. “After learning that the US government has already determined that BG has been wrongfully detained, we hope that their efforts will be significant, swift and successful.”
Greener’s team became optimistic about her fate last week with the release of former US infantryman Trevor Reed, who has been detained in Russia since 2019.
In essence, Reed was replaced by a Russian citizen convicted of drug smuggling. The deal was a signal that despite Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, an open diplomatic channel remains between US and Russian officials.
Richardson was active in securing Reed’s release. Another American, Paul Whelan, remains in Russian custody after more than two years.
Greenner, who plays for the Russian team during the WNBA off-season, was arrested in February at Moscow airport as he entered the country. Russia’s prosecutor’s office said it had illegally brought in vape cartridges containing hashish oil.
Griner has not been formally charged, but she is due to be heard on May 19. The fact that the US government now considers Greenner illegally detained does not mean that Russia will change its official position on her detention, but it does mean that the United States considers the lawsuit irrelevant to her case.
Vanessa Nigaard, coach of Greens Phoenix Mercury’s team, said on Tuesday that they were grateful that things seemed to be moving in the right direction.
“BG is at the forefront of our minds all the time and we just hope it’s safe and that it will go home quickly,” Nygaard said.
Teammate Skyler Diggins-Smith also expressed hope after the change in Greener’s ranking.
“This is still our main concern for our sister. Obviously the season is starting and we are dedicating this season to her until she returns to us,” Diggins-Smith said. “We think of her every day. We love her and will continue to carry her legacy, her voice and play in her honor until she returns here with us.”
The WNBA on Tuesday said it would keep Greener “at the forefront of what we do” this season with a sticker on the floor of the sideline of all 12 teams. The sticker will have Griner’s initials along with her number 42.
“We just want her at home. I’m glad they’re trying to do something,” New York coach Liberty coach Sandy Brondelo, who previously coached Greens in Phoenix, told reporters. “Prisoners were released last week, which gave me hope that BG will be one of the next to come out. I can’t imagine what she’s going through. I hope she comes out sooner.”
This report uses information from Josh Winefuss of ESPN.
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