WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.310 --> 00:00:01.450
- [Eric] For more than two months,

2
00:00:01.450 --> 00:00:04.480
WNBA All-Star, Brittney Griner
has been in a Russian prison,

3
00:00:04.480 --> 00:00:06.920
after she allegedly tried
to bring vape cartridges

4
00:00:06.920 --> 00:00:08.830
containing hashish oil into the country.

5
00:00:08.830 --> 00:00:10.690
Around 75 days after her arrest,

6
00:00:10.690 --> 00:00:12.220
Griner's case shifted on Tuesday

7
00:00:12.220 --> 00:00:13.450
as the United States government

8
00:00:13.450 --> 00:00:15.520
now considers her to
be wrongfully detained.

9
00:00:15.520 --> 00:00:17.700
Here's what you need to
know about Griner's case.

10
00:00:17.700 --> 00:00:20.450
Griner has spent her entire
international career in Russia,

11
00:00:20.450 --> 00:00:23.870
since 2014, earning over
$1 million per season,

12
00:00:23.870 --> 00:00:26.510
more than quadruple her
yearly, WNBA salary.

13
00:00:26.510 --> 00:00:28.900
She was detained at the airport
when a search of her bags

14
00:00:28.900 --> 00:00:30.210
found the cannabis cartridge.

15
00:00:30.210 --> 00:00:32.530
Griner is yet to be officially
charged with any crime,

16
00:00:32.530 --> 00:00:34.790
but is scheduled to have
a hearing on May 19th.

17
00:00:34.790 --> 00:00:36.670
Griner's detainment is
particularly difficult,

18
00:00:36.670 --> 00:00:39.550
because of Russia's ongoing
brutal war against Ukraine.

19
00:00:39.550 --> 00:00:42.100
Griner may be viewed as a powerful asset

20
00:00:42.100 --> 00:00:44.130
to Russian president Vladimir Putin,

21
00:00:44.130 --> 00:00:45.670
and she may be a hostage,

22
00:00:45.670 --> 00:00:48.257
in response to America
sanctions against the country.

23
00:00:48.257 --> 00:00:50.580
Griner's support system
and the US state department

24
00:00:50.580 --> 00:00:53.600
had kept a low profile on
Griner's case until this week,

25
00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:55.800
to not make her even
more valuable to Putin.

26
00:00:55.800 --> 00:00:57.730
It's unclear what exactly led to a change

27
00:00:57.730 --> 00:00:58.800
in Griner's status.

28
00:00:58.800 --> 00:01:00.850
The shift does mean the
US will no longer wait

29
00:01:00.850 --> 00:01:03.680
for Griner's case to play out
through Russia's legal system.

30
00:01:03.680 --> 00:01:06.480
They will attempt to negotiate
her return to America.

31
00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:08.390
The United States changing Griner's status

32
00:01:08.390 --> 00:01:10.770
as a wrongful detainee,
doesn't mean Russia has to,

33
00:01:10.770 --> 00:01:12.860
or will change its
viewpoint on her arrest.

34
00:01:12.860 --> 00:01:14.260
It does mean America considers

35
00:01:14.260 --> 00:01:16.620
any Russian legal action irrelevant.

36
00:01:16.620 --> 00:01:19.570
It also means that several
groups, including WNBA players,

37
00:01:19.570 --> 00:01:22.160
and support from other
parts of the US government,

38
00:01:22.160 --> 00:01:25.200
can bring as much attention
to Griner's case as they want.

39
00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:27.470
As the WNBA season gets
underway this week,

40
00:01:27.470 --> 00:01:29.890
league officials said they
would have floor decals

41
00:01:29.890 --> 00:01:32.340
with Griner's initials and her number, 42,

42
00:01:32.340 --> 00:01:35.040
on the home court
sideline of all 12 teams.

43
00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:37.840
Thanks for watching and stay
with deadspin.com for more.