Brittney Griner has been reclassified as 'wrongfully detained' by Russia, per U.S. officials. As obvious as that sounds, the change in designation means the U.S will be working more aggressively to get her home.
WNBA star Brittney Griner is being “wrongfully detained” in Russia, according to recent reports.
The designation of Griner, who was detained at an airport in February after Russian authorities said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis, seems obvious. However, those two words now signals a shift in how officials will try to get her home, as reported by ESPN. Two U.S. officials confirmed it on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it by name, according to The Associated Press.Up to this point, U.S. officials have focused on ensuring that she had access in jail to American consular affairs officials.
The Griner case is with the State Department — the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, to be specific — which is focused on negotiating for the release of hostages and other Americans classified as being wrongfully detained. “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 timing of the change in designation is not known. The AP is reporting President Joe Biden’s administration had been under pressure from members of Congress and others to make her release a priority.
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