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How Brittney Griner Became a Political Pawn

Growing public pressure to free the W.N.B.A. star, who has been detained in Russia for months, comes with risks.

sabrina tavernise

From The New York Times, I’m Sabrina Tavernise. This is The Daily.

Over the past several weeks, calls for the release of Brittney Griner, the American basketball star who was arrested in Russia, have grown louder, coming from her family and her fans and even from the U.S. Congress. Today, my colleague Michael Crowley on the risks that mounting pressure brings, both for Brittney Griner and for U.S. foreign policy.

It’s Wednesday, July 6.

So, Michael, you’ve been covering the case of Brittney Griner, the American athlete who was arrested in Russia in February. Let’s start with the basics. Who is Brittney Griner? And how did she get detained?

michael crowley

Brittney Griner is —

archived recording

Griner puts it up and in! Brittney Griner!

michael crowley

— one of the stars of the WNBA, which, of course, is the women’s professional basketball league in the United States.

archived recording

Brittney Griner is so big, so long, so athletic. And that’s what she does better than anyone else.

michael crowley

Also a two-time Olympic gold medal winner —

archived recording

What has it really taken to get to this point?

archived recording (brittney griner)

Just every day, just coming, not looking at the records and just playing, trying to get better every game, and —

michael crowley

— and a name instantly recognizable to any WNBA fan and to many sports fans.

archived recording

Brittney Griner spinning in the lane, put it up and in! Capped that one in the foul, the deuce and the damage.

michael crowley

But despite her prominence and success in the WNBA, Griner does not make as much money as her male counterparts, so in the off-season, plays overseas in a Russian professional basketball league. And in mid-February, at a time when tensions between the United States and Russia were skyrocketing over what turned out to be Russia’s imminent invasion of Ukraine, Brittney Griner traveled to Russia to play basketball there.

And according to Russian authorities, a drug sniffing dog reacted to her luggage at a Moscow area airport. Griner was pulled aside. Her bags were searched. And the Russians say that officials at the airport discovered hashish oil inside of vape cartridges in her luggage. And they arrested her.

sabrina tavernise

So what else do we know about her arrest? I mean, were these drugs actually hers? I mean, did she kind of mess up by having them in her suitcase? Or was something else going on?

michael crowley

Well, we don’t know. She has not entered a plea. And there has not been a denial from her or her representatives in the U.S. that she did have these materials. Having said that, Russia is very well known for ginning up cases against people for the purpose of harassment in illegitimate ways. So I think it’s dangerous to make assumptions here. But the reality is, the Russians control the situation. They say that she had these drugs. They are charging her with this criminal offense. And it is a charge that can carry up to 10 years in prison.

sabrina tavernise

OK, so what happens next?

michael crowley

Well, it’s a little strange. Griner is arrested at this Moscow airport on February 17. But word of arrest does not emerge until nearly three weeks later, when the Russian government announces on March 5 that this has happened. Now, in the meantime, something massive has happened on the world stage. And that is the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But initially, her family, her wife and her supporters had not said anything about her detention until media representatives contacted them following the Russian government statement. When they are contacted, they say little. They clearly are not, at that point, looking to fan the publicity around the situation.

sabrina tavernise

So, Michael, how would you explain that? I mean, she seems like a big enough star that we would have heard about her detention before three weeks had gone by.

michael crowley

That’s right. And that goes to a core theme that has run through this entire case, which is, what is the wisest approach for the family, relatives and supporters of a person who has been detained, arrested or kidnapped overseas? What is the smart way for them to respond?

Is it to speak up, make noise and raise the profile of the situation? Or is it to work quietly with the United States government, keep the profile of the case low, prevent the stakes from rising in a way that could potentially benefit the captors — in this case, the Russian government — and essentially try to avoid publicity?

And in the early going, what we saw was that Griner’s family and supporters chose that latter course of trying to keep the profile low and initially leave it to the United States government to try to deal with the Russians.

sabrina tavernise

So what does the U.S. government do?

michael crowley

Well, it’s a terrible time for the U.S. government to be trying to resolve a situation like this. We can’t be sure about behind the scenes contacts, but essentially, the U.S. government and the Russian government are not talking as a result of the invasion of Ukraine. Not only that, but the Russian government clearly has been obstructing the access that U.S. officials in Moscow, of whom there are very few left at this point, have to Griner.

It is customary for an American who is arrested overseas to have what is known as consular access. So that means if you are arrested in a foreign country where the United States has any sort of diplomatic relations or presence, you are to be granted access to someone from the embassy who can come and talk to you, get more information about your situation, make sure you have a lawyer, make sure you’re being treated well, convey messages back to the U.S. government and to your family. In this case, Griner was denied consular access until March 23rd, over a month after her arrest.

sabrina tavernise

So this is the worst part possible time for the U.S. to be trying to negotiate with Russia. What did they decide to do?

michael crowley

Well, not much happens for several weeks. The Russians are quiet. Griner is in detention, awaiting the start of her trial. And then something really dramatic happens. The United States and Russia agree to a prisoner exchange. And an American named Trevor Reed, who is a former U.S. Marine, who had been detained in Russia for a few years on charges of assaulting police officers, is returned home in a dramatic and unusual deal, in which President Biden himself personally approves the release of a convicted Russian pilot who flew a plane that was filled with drugs.

Brittney Griner is not part of this deal. And I’m sure to her family and friends, she was, in a way, left behind. What the Biden administration says, by way of explanation, is that this was a very unusual circumstance, that Trevor Reed’s health was failing and that he was in, essentially, an emergency situation. And to leave him in Russia any longer would jeopardize his health. In addition, U.S. officials suggest that this Russian drug smuggler is not that big a deal to them. He served most of his sentence. They’re not giving that much up. So it’s a trade worth making, given that Reed’s health is in danger.

sabrina tavernise

So that’s their explanation for why they focused on Trevor Reed, that other prisoner, and not on Brittney Griner.

michael crowley

Yes, and however hard that might have been for Griner’s family, they still remain basically quiet. But then, on May 3, the U.S. government says that Griner was wrongfully detained.

sabrina tavernise

What does that mean?

michael crowley

Well, that is very significant diplomatic language. It essentially means that she is now seen as a hostage. And her case, indeed, is referred to an Office of Hostage Affairs that the U.S. government maintains.

sabrina tavernise

OK, so what effect does that have on her case?

michael crowley

Well, people start speaking out much more vocally and from all quarters.

archived recording

The WNBA season tipped off last night without seven-time all-star Brittney Griner, who is still detained in Russia.

michael crowley

For one thing, the WNBA season begins without her, but she is a presence in every game.

archived recording

Floor decals of her initials, BG, and the number 42 in all of its arenas.

michael crowley

There are references to her case. Players are wearing “We are BG” shirts during warm-ups. It even extends into the NBA, where the Boston Celtics also wear “We are BG” shirts.

archived recording

When she was detained, even though we all knew what was going on, we were told by the U.S. government to keep it a little bit more as a low profile issue.

michael crowley

Her case is mentioned during the NBA Finals.

archived recording

So I first heard the news through Brittney, actually. She started texting me around 2:00 AM that morning. Babe, babe, babe, wake up. They have me in this room.

michael crowley

On May 25, Griner’s wife goes on “Good Morning America” and, in an emotional interview, says that she is a hostage and urges President Biden to do whatever he can.

archived recording

She’s a political pawn. So if they’re holding her because they want you to do something, then I want you to do it.

michael crowley

And a lot of the people speaking out aren’t just talking about her profile as a star athlete —

archived recording

She’s a Black woman, and she’s a gay Black woman. All of these things exacerbate her situation.

michael crowley

— but also about her identity —

archived recording 8

Russia has some of the most cruel anti-LGBTQ laws in the world.

michael crowley

— and how that puts her at particular risk in a place like Russia.

archived recording

It’s time for the House to speak with one unified voice.

michael crowley

And even the United States Congress —

archived recording

Calls on the government of Russia to immediately release Brittney Griner.

michael crowley

— overwhelmingly passes a resolution saying that Brittney must be freed.

sabrina tavernise

But why this change in strategy? I mean, why would her friends and her family, and even Congress for that matter, be going out of their way to suddenly amplify her situation? I mean, as you said, Griner and her family chose to remain silent at first. And that’s, oftentimes, how hostage situations unfold, right? Usually, the families try to stay quiet and just don’t say very much publicly, because they want the government to have maximum maneuverability in negotiating the release.

michael crowley

That’s right. And typically, the government urges families to maintain a low profile and says that that is in their best interest. I think that what happened in this case was the change in designation, coupled with the rapidly escalating tensions between the U.S. and Russia, made it very clear, number one, that Griner was in grave danger, that this was not a part of Russia’s legal system in any legitimate way. Russia’s legal system itself is very problematic.

But any hope that this may have been handled in a straightforward way had evaporated. At the same time, the State Department is making clear that she is tangled up in all these politics. And I think her supporters felt like they weren’t seeing any action. It was very difficult to get information about her case. And I think that there was a feeling that it was time to change the strategy.

sabrina tavernise

And what did that mean for the Biden administration?

michael crowley

Well, it complicates things for the Biden administration. And the risk and, I think, the concern is that as pressure increases on President Biden, people speak out. There are heartfelt pleas for her release. Congress is demanding action that to the extent that her case may be being manipulated by senior Russian officials potentially in the Kremlin who have political motives, those officials are not going to be moved to sympathy by these pleas that are coming from the United States. In fact, they are going to see an opportunity.

They are going to see that President Biden is under pressure. He is in a difficult position. And they may very well raise their asking price. In other words, the risk and concern is that when you elevate a case like this and you put more pressure on the president, you raise the cost of getting an American like this home.

[music]

sabrina tavernise

We’ll be right back.

So Michael, you said that the asking price for Russia is going up. Do we have any sense of what that asking price is?

michael crowley

Well, a lot of this process has been very opaque. We don’t the full details of what the two sides might be offering or demanding. But we got a very interesting hint a few weeks ago in Russian media, which quoted sources saying that the Russian government was interested in the possibility of, in effect, trading Griner for a man named Viktor Bout.

sabrina tavernise

Viktor Bout, like the famous Russian arms dealer?

michael crowley

Exactly.

archived recording

Rarely does the U.S. government want anyone more than it wanted this man.

michael crowley

He is one of the most infamous arms dealers of all time.

archived recording

U.S. government officials say Bout became the world’s most notorious arms dealer by fueling civil wars around the world.

michael crowley

He may not be familiar to younger listeners, but about 15, 20 years ago, he was virtually a household name. He, in fact, had a nickname, the merchant of death, and was the basis for a Nicolas Cage character in a Hollywood movie about a global arms dealer.

archived recording

I was an equal opportunity merchant of death. I supplied every army, but the Salvation Army.

michael crowley

And Bout, for better or worse, really warranted the attention. He was a man who very skillfully, if cynically, exploited the collapse of the Soviet Union —

archived recording

According to the U.S. indictment, Bout had a unique selling point when it came to weapons trafficking — a fleet of cargo airplanes capable of transporting weapons and military equipment any time, anywhere.

michael crowley

— and made countless millions of dollars peddling his weapons to conflict zones around the world, fueling terrible civil wars and arming dictators and war criminals, particularly in Africa.

^archived recording 13

Afghanistan, Colombia, Rwanda, Congo. So, really, Viktor Bout is sort of the quintessential arms entrepreneur.

michael crowley

Ultimately, he was ensnared in a United States federal sting operation and arrested for offering to sell weapons to what turned out to be undercover U.S. federal agents. They said that they were members of a Colombian rebel group, and that they wanted weapons partly for the purpose of killing Americans. That, of course, is an extremely grave offense. And in 2011, Bout was convicted and sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, where he is now.

sabrina tavernise

Would the U.S. government ever go for this? I mean, it’s not like it’s a soldier being exchanged for a soldier, right? This is a famous basketball player and an arms smuggler.

michael crowley

That’s right, and even if the charges against Griner are what the Russians say they are, this is a minor offense. She allegedly had small amounts of hashish oil for what I think was clearly personal use, if the charges are true. Bout was a notorious international arms dealer who consorted with terrible actors around the world and was willing to sell weapons to people who were considered terrorists by the U.S. government at the time. So, in my reporting, people said that this is not a deal that they thought the U.S. would or should consider, unless, potentially, the Russians were willing to give up more.

sabrina tavernise

And what do you mean by that?

michael crowley

Well, there is another American who is considered by the State Department to be wrongfully detained in Russia right now. His name is Paul Whelan. And he has been detained by the Russians since 2019. Whelan was in Moscow when he was arrested on charges of espionage. He, too, like Trevor Reed, who, as we mentioned earlier, was released in a prisoner exchange in April, is a former U.S. Marine. And the Russians say he’s a spy. The U.S. says that he is not.

There may be some possibility that if the Russians were willing to trade two people for Viktor Bout, that might be something that the U.S. could swallow. Having said that, when asked about scenarios like this, the State Department and the White House won’t entertain them, won’t say that they’re considering a deal for Bout.

And they repeat this line like a mantra, that they do not think that wrongfully detained prisoners should be used as political pawns and that they don’t want to incentivize further bad behavior. So although the Russians seem to be signaling that they want Bout back and that this could be a way out of this problem, it’s still not at all clear whether this is a trade the Biden administration is willing to make.

sabrina tavernise

So, Michael, where is Brittney Griner now? I mean, where does her case stand?

michael crowley

Well, physically, she is in a jail outside of Moscow. And it looks like a pretty grim place, based on photographs. And legally, Griner’s trial began on Friday officially, but it wasn’t much of a beginning. Two witnesses for the prosecution who were supposed to appear in court just didn’t show up. It’s unclear why. And the whole thing was kind of a false start. Griner never even entered a plea.

Basically, we’re just waiting for the trial to resume at this point. This is a trial that could take months to resolve. But given what we know about the Russian legal system, a case like this is virtually certain to result in a conviction.

sabrina tavernise

So, Michael, what are the options for the Biden administration at this point?

michael crowley

Well, it’s obviously a very difficult situation, as is everything to do with our relationship with Russia right now. One option, of course, is for the Biden administration to stand its ground and continue to tell the Russians that they cannot use prisoners as pawns for which they can win concessions from the United States, let her trial play out, see what happens and take it from there.

Another is to take a little bit of risk here and initiate some new diplomacy. There’s actually one potential interesting opportunity for doing that this week. I’ll be traveling this week with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Indonesia, where he’ll be attending a meeting of the G20 foreign ministers, the group of 20 major nations that meet annually. And the Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will also be attending this meeting in Bali. And Blinken and Lavrov are likely to be in the same room.

Now the State Department says that Blinken has no plans to speak to Lavrov, with whom he has not spoken since before the Russian invasion. And I think it’s unlikely that they will speak. But Blinken could approach Lavrov at this gathering or potentially communicate with him through an intermediary. Or the U.S. government could try to reach out to the Russian government through another government in some way that has nothing to do with this meeting and keep that quiet, keep that out of the public eye.

sabrina tavernise

So it sounds like all of this leaves Biden in a pretty tricky position, which is presumably what the Russians want. I mean, if Biden seems like he’s not doing anything to help Brittney Griner, he looks terrible, right? At the same time, Biden doesn’t want to be openly giving Russia something that they’re asking for, especially now, given that they’ve tried to be so careful about isolating Russia after its invasion of Ukraine.

michael crowley

That’s exactly right. In the big picture, the Biden administration doesn’t want to make concessions to Russia of any kind right now. We are applying close to maximum pressure on Russia in every way, arming Ukraine, pounding Russia with new economic sanctions at every opportunity, trying to essentially derail the Russian economy.

But from Russia’s perspective, this is probably working out fairly well. Vladimir Putin has to be aware that this is an escalating political problem for President Biden. And in addition to the generalized pressure that President Biden is facing, I think that there’s some special circumstances here that make it particularly difficult for the White House and potentially particularly satisfying for Vladimir Putin, who, as we know, has sought to stoke social divisions inside of the United States before, including when Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

And what I mean by that are issues to do with Griner’s identity and frustrations among her supporters that more is not being done to help her, potentially, they say, because of who she is and what she looks like and what the nature of her sexuality is. And I’m thinking specifically of an interview that the coach of the Phoenix Mercury, which is the WNBA team that Griner plays for, she gave an interview over the weekend in which she said that if it had been LeBron James who was arrested in Russia, he would be home by now.

And she said the fact that Griner is not back is a statement about the value of women. It’s a statement about the value of a Black person. It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. All of those things, we know it. And so that’s what hurts a little more. That’s a quote from the coach. And that’s the kind of thing that Vladimir Putin, I’m sure, is happy to see President Biden having to contend with.

sabrina tavernise

Right, the Russians have proven themselves quite skilled in exploiting American political divisions in the past.

michael crowley

Absolutely.

sabrina tavernise

And where does all of this leave Brittney Griner?

michael crowley

Well, terrified, in her own words. And we know this because of the disclosure of a handwritten letter that Griner wrote that was delivered to the White House. She addressed it to President Biden. And I can read you what it said.

[music]

“As I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever. On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father, who is a Vietnam War veteran. It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.”

sabrina tavernise

Michael, thank you.

michael crowley

Thank you.

archived recording (karine jean-pierre)

So I can say that the president did read the letter. I was there when he read the letter. This is something, Brittney Griner being held in Moscow, we believe the Federation is wrongfully — she’s being wrongfully detained in Moscow at this time. This is an issue that is a priority for this president.

sabrina tavernise

On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged that President Biden had received Brittney Griner’s letter and said the administration will use, quote, “every tool they can” to bring Griner and other U.S. citizens who’ve been wrongfully detained back.

archived recording (karine jean-pierre)

And you saw the work that his administration did to bring home Trevor Reed. That is the same work, the same focus that we did and put behind bringing Trevor Reed home. We’re going to do the same with Brittney Griner and others.

sabrina tavernise

We’ll be right back.

Here’s what else you need to know today. On Tuesday, new details emerged about a gunman who killed at least seven people at a July 4th parade in Highland Park, Illinois. Police said the shooter had planned the massacre for weeks, used a high powered rifle that he had legally purchased, fired more than 70 bullets into the crowd and disguised himself in women’s clothing so that he would blend in as he escaped the scene.

Police also said they had seized weapons from the shooter in 2019, confiscating 16 knives, a dagger and a sword, after family members had reported to officers that the man had planned to, quote, “kill everyone.” The man was not charged in that incident, but it raised questions about why he was able to purchase several guns in the years since, including the one used on July 4. Authorities charged the man with seven counts of first degree murder, which would carry a mandatory sentence of life without parole if he’s convicted.

And British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is fighting for his political survival after two of his senior ministers resigned in what appeared to be a coordinated move against him. The resignations came after it was revealed that Johnson had given a powerful government job to a member of parliament, Chris Pincher, whom Johnson knew had been accused of groping men. Since taking the job, Pincher has allegedly groped more men.

archived recording

So do you accept it was a grave error to appoint Chris Pincher to your government?

archived recording (boris johnson)

Yes, I think it was a mistake. And I apologize for it. I think in hindsight, it was the wrong thing to do.

sabrina tavernise

Johnson has since apologized for the appointment and Pincher himself has resigned.

archived recording (boris johnson)

I just want to make absolutely clear that there’s no place in this government for anybody who is predatory or who abuses their position of power.

sabrina tavernise

Today’s episode was produced by Clare Toeniskoetter, Eric Krupke, Carlos Prieto and Will Reid. It was edited by John Ketchum and Michael Benoist, contains original music by Marion Lozano, Dan Powell and Rowan Niemisto, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

[music]

That’s it for The Daily. I’m Sabrina Tavernise. See you tomorrow.

Clare ToeniskoetterEric KrupkeCarlos Prieto and

John Ketchum and

Marion LozanoDan Powell and


Brittney Griner, the American W.N.B.A. star who has been detained in Russia since February, recently sent a letter to President Biden. “I’m terrified I might be here forever,” she wrote.

The White House vowed to use “every tool” to bring Ms. Griner back to the United States, but organizing her release is a tricky proposition, complicated not least by Washington’s break with Moscow over the war in Ukraine.


Michael Crowley, a diplomatic correspondent for The New York Times.

Image
Brittney Griner, a W.N.B.A. star and two-time Olympic gold medalist, has become a wartime bargaining chip between Russia and the United States.Credit...Alexander Zemlianichenko/Associated Press
  • Brittney Griner has endured months in a Russian prison and faces the threat of years more.

  • Her letter to Mr. Biden asked him to keep her case in mind. “I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home,” she wrote.

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Michael Crowley contributed reporting.

The Daily is made by Lisa Tobin, Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Larissa Anderson, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Dave Shaw, Sydney Harper, Robert Jimison, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Kaitlin Roberts, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Anita Badejo, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Chelsea Daniel, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky and John Ketchum.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Cliff Levy, Lauren Jackson, Julia Simon, Mahima Chablani, Sofia Milan, Desiree Ibekwe, Wendy Dorr, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli and Maddy Masiello.

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