U.S. Reclassifies Brittany Griner as "Wrongfully Detained" in Russia

According to ESPN, WNBA star Brittany Griner was reclassified by the U.S. as "wrongfully detained" by the Russian government, which could mean a big shift in her case and getting her back home. Griner, who plays for a Russian team during the WNBA offseason, was arrested in February at a Moscow-area airport and accused of bringing vape cartridges containing hashish oil into the country.

Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas spoke about the reclassification, stating, "Brittney has been detained for 75 days and our expectation is that the White House do whatever is necessary to bring her home."

A State Department official also released a statement to ESPN, which reads, "The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained U.S. citizen Brittney Griner. With this determination, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens will lead the interagency team for securing Brittney Griner's release."

The new change doesn't mean Russia will change its official stance on her detainment, but the U.S. now considers legal proceedings to be irrelevant to her case, and they will seek to negotiate her return. It was also revealed that Griner will be getting assistance from Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, who also worked privately for years as an international hostage negotiator.

Richardson was active in recently securing the release of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who had been held in Russia since 2019. An agreement was made where Reed was sent back to the U.S., while a Russian citizen who had been convicted of drug smuggling was extradited back to his home country.

Source: ESPN

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