Brittney Griner may be used as a 'pawn' by Russia amid the invasion of Ukraine, legal expert says

• Russian authorities announced Saturday they had detained WNBA All-Star Brittney Griner.
• Officials claimed Griner had hashish in her luggage at Sheremetyevo Airport near Moscow.

There may be less public outcry among Americans about the Russian arrest of WNBA star Brittney Griner because the potential for a world war "stands in the balance," legal experts said.

Russian officials announced on Saturday that they had detained Griner weeks ago in Sheremetyevo Airport near Moscow. Authorities claimed vape cartridges containing hashish oil were found in her luggage.

Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star, was arrested in February, according to Russian news agency Interfax, meaning she had already been detained for days before it was announced. And, according to a fellow WNBA player, Griner has already been detained for three weeks.

Adrienne Lawrence, a California attorney and legal commentator for The Young Turks, told Insider that she is dubious about the Russian narrative of Griner's arrest, and says this arrest has larger international implications.

"It's difficult to know whether Griner had contraband on her or not. Again, this isn't her first rodeo in Russia. She's worked here for some seven years. So it makes it unlikely that she would break the rules, but we do know mistakes happen," Lawrence, who is not involved in Griner's case, told Insider.

"Russia hasn't been the most forthright of nations, and we're currently in a climate where Russia has been manufacturing stories to justify its invasion of Ukraine," Lawrence added. "So I really wouldn't put past Russia to manufacture a story about an athlete who's from the United States."

Since 2014, Griner has played for Russia-based UMMC Ekaterinburg in the WNBA off-season, where she earns a significantly higher salary compared to low WNBA salaries in the US. This year, Griner is set to take home a league-maximum $227,900 annual salary from the Phoenix Mercury, whereas she reportedly earns $1 million per season with UMMC Ekaterinburg.

Lawrence said the current international environment complicates Griner's case.

For instance, the Russian government has launched a widespread propaganda campaign about the invasion of Ukraine, calling it a "special military operation" instead of war. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law criminalizing sharing information about the war domestically, threatening dissenters with arrest and prison time.

Regardless of the war, Russia maintains a history of using trumped-up drug charges to detain people, including political opponents, activists, and journalists.

An escalating international conflict

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday told reporters that the US is "ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia." However, he did not answer specific questions about Griner, citing "privacy considerations."

The WNBA, the Phoenix Mercury, and USA Basketball have released statements calling for Griner's safe return home. Griner's wife, Cherelle Watson, said in an Instagram post that her wife's detention is "one of the weakest moments" in her life.

Lawrence told Insider that while the public was unaware of Griner's arrest, Griner's family and agent must have been quietly working to secure her return.

"We know that her people already knew because when the story broke on Saturday, each one of them already had their statement," Lawrence said. "It makes sense they told no one because we were right on the brink of this conflict, but also because they want to try and get her out, and the less public pressure, the fewer people involved, makes it easier."

A representative for Griner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"We all know what stands in the balance"

Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in late February, and officials said it has been wrought with human rights violations by Russians against Ukrainians.

Although the US and other Western countries have imposed a series of economic sanctions on Russia and blocked the country from international banking systems, they have — as of yet — rejected the idea of sending troops or implementing a no-fly zone in Ukraine.

Putin has blasted the sanctions, saying they are "akin to a declaration of war," and said that if Western leaders place restrictions on Ukraine's airspace it would signal involvement in the conflict. However, the US and the European Union have also supplied weapons to Ukraine.

"This is a difficult situation because of the international conflict and the US trying to stay at bay as much as possible," Lawrence said. "I think that will keep a lot of people almost quiet about her detainment. There will be less outcry because we all know what stands in the balance, and that's the potential for World War III."

Griner's arrest is not the first of its kind.

In 2019, Naama Issachar, a US-Israeli citizen, was arrested in Moscow after officials said they found over nine grams of marijuana in her luggage, the BBC reported. She was sentenced to over seven years in prison. In 2020, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu negotiated a pardon from Putin.

Griner may become a "pawn" used by Russia in the Ukrainian conflict, Lawrence said.

"They wanted us, in terms of the American people, to know that they had her," Lawrence said. "If it wasn't a big deal, if she just had this contraband on her and they were pursuing charges so on and so forth, they would've disclosed the information weeks ago."

As a Black athlete who is gay and gender non-conforming, Griner is at an even greater risk of mistreatment while she's in Russian custody, Lawrence said.

And her absence will be noticeable when the WNBA season starts in May.

"People have resigned themselves to this thought that she's going to be over there for some time because we are trying to avoid a nuclear war," she said. "She is caught up in an international conflict when all she was trying to do was what she was good at and receive adequate pay for it."