Why We Do Not Know Much About Russia’s Arrest of WNBA Stars

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• Brittney Griner, WNBA star, was arrested in Russia for allegedly smuggling a substantial amount of drugs.
• Insider was informed by Russian law experts that there was no evidence to support the claim that the arrest was politically motivated.
• Griner will be held for a lengthy detention and face a system that has a 99.75% conviction ratio.

Brittney Griner, WNBA star, remains in Russia detention. To the dismay of many, we don’t know much about her situation, the evidence that justified her arrest or what might happen next.

Here are the facts:

• Griner was arrestedAt an airport in Russia when she entered Russia sometime around mid-February (possibly Feb.17).
• Russian authorities released a video showing Griner at the airport and having her luggage checked by a dog and security. Griner was accused, according to customs agents. “vapes with specifically smelling liquid, and an expert determined that the liquid was cannabis oil (hash oil).”
• Griner was convicted of smuggling significant amounts of narcotics. A mugshot was published to confirm this. Griner could be sentenced to up to 10 year imprisonment if found guilty.
• Russian state television said that she was doing “OK”And that is her only complaint about the beds.

—ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) March 9, 2022

That’s all.

As important as what we know is the fact that we don’t know.

Although Griner’s arrest was made about a week prior to Russia’s invasion and subsequent geopolitical standoff, we don’t know whether it is politically motivated.

Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee stated that she believes Griner’s Russian detention was justified. “targeted and purposeful.”

“Under the circumstances, I’m obviously concerned and believe the actions of the [Russian] Federal Customs officers was unnecessary,” Lee shared his thoughts with The Hill. “And it was, in my perspective, targeted and purposeful. I don’t underestimate anything that Russia would do.”

There is no evidence that Griner was harmed by the Kremlin.

Insider was told by two Russian law experts that there is no evidence to suggest the case is politically motivated.

William E. Butler, Penn State Dickinson Law professor, expressed concern at the lack of information available about the case.

“So far, there hasn’t been [any evidence that the political side has gotten involved],”Insider spoke with Butler “What’s been remarkable about this case is so little has been said about it. We have so little details. All we have really got is the press release that the customs service released. That’s what triggered our knowledge of it. We’re not even exactly sure when she was detained.”

Jeffrey Kahn, a Southern Methodist University professor in the Dedman School of Law, noted that there is no evidence suggesting that the Kremlin was involved in the case.

“I have no idea, none whatsoever, whether that is going to be of any interest to the state,”Insider spoke with Kahn “To be perfectly frank, the Kremlin has a lot more on its plate besides the possible drug trafficking of a WNBA player.”

Kahn explained, however, that Griner could become a political pawn and the Russian government could decide the case even before it is tried.

“Although the Russian criminal justice system is wholly capable now of doing an excellent job hearing and resolving civil and criminal matters in a just and fair way, it is entirely possible in that system for a case to be shifted, so to speak, metaphorically, to the political side of the docket,”Kahn has conducted extensive research and work on Russian law. “There is enough indirect and circumstantial evidence to lead a lot of analysts to conclude that in cases where the Kremlin wants a certain result, it will get a certain result.”

Experts disagree that race or sexual orientation are motivating factors.

Although being part of the LGBTQ+ community is a privilege, Russia legalized marijuana for close to 30 yearsIt is against the law to marry someone of the same gender. Russians don’t support expanded LGBTQ+ rights, even though they lack anti-discrimination and hate crime protections for queer persons in the country.

Many people wondered if Griner’s identity of a Black American living in a same-sex union would affect her arrest or court case. Butler and Kahn say that Griner’s minority status did not play any role in her arrest.

“There is nothing in that charge, there is nothing in the basic facts of being stopped by a customs guard, that in any way implicates her citizenship, her race, her sexual orientation,”Insider spoke with Kahn

Butler noted that sexuality and race do not seem to play a role in this decision.

“I would be very surprised [if sexuality played a role in the case],”Insider spoke with Butler “It is irrelevant to the charge. I don’t see why it should…. It doesn’t help being an American at the moment. It may not hurt you, but it doesn’t help you.”

Russia is known for its serious attitude towards drug charges, including cannabis.

This could be a sign Griner isn’t being used as a political pawn and paraded before cameras. It is, however, concerning that Griner has remained silent.

Griner could be held for an extended period of time if this is a typical case in the Russian court system.

A Wall Street Journal cites a similar case in which an American teacher was held on drug trafficking charges at a Russian airport. This case continues to be investigated. Another case involved a young Israeli-American tourist who was accused of carrying a small amount marijuana in her checked luggage. She was held for nine months and then released by President Vladimir Putin following negotiations.

Griner is also up against a Russian courts with a 99.75% conviction rates.

Insider was told by Slava Malamud (a former journalist in sports for a major Russian national outlet) that drug charges in Russia are very serious. Russian authorities claim Griner was in possession of cannabis and that it could have been a major offense.

“People in Russia have been detained and given enormous sentences for just having a small amount of marijuana,” Malamud said. “They’re really, really brutal and medieval about any type of drugs in Russia.”

Malamud still allowed for the possibility Griner might have been caught in a bigger geopolitical match. He described the drug-smuggling case as “the go-to charge if you wanna frame somebody.”

Griner was going to Russia. Her WNBA income can be supplementedCompete for European powerhouse club UMMC Ekaterinburg. This team is primarily owned and controlled by Iskander Makhmudov, a billionaire Russian oligarch. It depends on whether Makhmudov, a man with the same amount of power and money as Makhmudov, has the resources to free his star from Russian prison.

“If it’s just federal criminal authorities who are holding her purely because she had that vape on her, I’m sure it can be all decided amicably if you pulled some strings,” Malamud explained. “But if she is being held as a retaliation to the United States, and it’s basically FSB [Russia’s Federal Security Service]-slash-Putin’s inner circle who is making the decision, then no.”