The wife of WNBA star and Russian prisoner Brittney Griner says she and Griner’s team are working tirelessly to get her home.
Griner was stopped at the airport last month after Russian authorities searched her luggage and allegedly found vape cartridges containing hashish oil.
"I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life," wife Cherelle Griner wrote Saturday on Instagram.
"I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely. Your prayers, and support are greatly appreciated."
Former U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia and Ukraine Evelyn Farkas told Yahoo Sports that Russia may want to use Griner as a bargaining chip, saying that "if we want her out of jail, Russia is going to have some terms. It could be a prisoner swap. They also could use it as an implicit threat or blackmail to get us to do something or not do something. Either way, they find it useful."
The Russian Federal Customs Services stated Saturday that it had opened a criminal investigation into the large-scale drug transportation, which can carry a prison sentence of up to 10 years.
Russian Federal Customs Service did not name Griner, referring to the detainee as a two-time Olympic gold medalist with the U.S. women’s national team, and released a video showing airport security looking through the luggage of a person who appears to be Griner.
Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, released a statement Saturday saying that "we are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA."
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