Lawmakers Aren’t Confident They Can Get Brittney Griner Out of Russia

WNBA player Brittney Griner remains detained in Russia for carrying hashish oil in her luggage at an airport near Moscow. And US lawmakers don’t have much confidence they can get her out of Russia. Some have even described it as a “very difficult” task.

It'll be 'very difficult' to get detained US basketball star Brittney Griner out of Russia, lawmaker says #Ukrainehttps://t.co/imvah1S5j8

— CNNWynn (@WynnWs) March 7, 2022

“Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment,” Democrat Rep. John Garamendi of California told CNN on Monday.

“Perhaps during the various negotiations that may take place, she might be able to be one of the solutions. I don’t know.”

Garamendi also says Russia’s strict LGBT rules could come into play because Griner is married to a woman. It’s worth noting that Garamendi is only speculating on this aspect of the situation.

Several other unknowns about Griner’s arrest also remain, including the timing. We don’t know exactly when Russian officials arrested her.

On Saturday, the Russian Federal Customs Service released a video of an individual who appears to be Griner going through airport security. The New York Times reports the screening at the airport occurred in February, raising the possibility that Griner has been in custody for at least several days.

Since the video’s publication, more than 1,000 people have signed the “Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U.S.” petition on Change.org.

Griner has played with Russia’s UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2015 during the WNBA offseason.