Amidst the chaos of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some surprising news rocked the women's basketball world. Brittney Griner, a WNBA player and star of the Phoenix Mercury, was reportedly arrested in Russia. The star forward has been incarcerated for “large-scale transportation of drugs” after a bottle of cannabis oil was found on her in an airport.
It's an extremely delicate situation right now for Griner, especially with tensions in Russia rising. Many politicians and athletes have spoken out in support of the Mercury star. However, according to Jason Rezaian, a former hostage in Iran, the US government should act with more urgency regarding Griner's arrest. (via Washington Post)
“It [US Government] should make clear that, if a detention of an American is found to be politically motivated, there will be swift and severe consequences. The current, long-standing public approach of responding in a diplomatic and noncommittal tone… actually ensures the opposite: It leaves our citizens languishing in prison, often for years, and signals to offenders that they can get away with it.”
With the situation in Russia being as tense as it is, public statements regarding Griner's arrest have been on the lighter side. However, Rezaian points out that this might not be the right way to go for the US. Instead, he advocates for the government to take a stronger stance with the Mercury star and push for her release.
Diplomatic issues aren't as clear-cut as differing the tone of your statements, however. There's undoubtedly a lot of things going on behind the scenes to free the Mercury star. Hopefully, this issue gets resolved quickly and as cleanly as possible.
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