Staying quiet about Brittney Griner hasn't worked

[Jilly_in_VA]

For the past two months, people around Brittney Griner and the WNBA have been low-key. The idea was that any loud calls to have the basketball star released from her Russian prison as Vladimir Putin launched an assault against Ukraine would only upset the authoritarian, and so the wise course was to work quietly and behind the scenes to release her.

It hasn’t worked.

Accused of having cannabis oil in her luggage at the airport on Feb. 17, Griner faces 10 years in prison in Russia. Her detention however, also serves as an undeniable flex of Putin’s power. The American and Olympian embodies many characteristics that he has tried to suppress in Russia, such as any discussion of untraditional gender expectations.

Griner, who came out in 2013 and has often spoken about how misunderstood she has felt over the years, stands at 6-foot-9 and has a raft of endorsements, including Nike. She is impossible to ignore even if she wanted to be invisible. She’s too famous, too tall, too uniquely Griner to be mistaken.

https://deadspin.com/staying-quiet-about-brittney-griner-hasn-t-worked-1848790481
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Brittney Griner is a political prisoner. Period.

[RockRaven]

1. Staying quiet didn't work. Getting loud won't work either.

There isn't a clear and effective solution, because as you point out by noting she's a political prisoner, her detention isn't about her alleged infraction. It's about something much bigger, much worse.

It's virtually impossible to achieve a reasonable outcome in a conflicted situation when the other party isn't reasonable. And Putin's Russia definitely isn't reasonable.

[hlthe2b]

2. Yup... Putin holds the cards on her fate. Getting loud can only increase her risk. The frustration

comes from knowing we have little option but to continue quiet diplomacy and hope.

No one wants to hear that. But as one who frequently traveled in countries (especially ME) neither all that friendly towards Americans and especially American women, I knew the onus was on ME to avoid to my ability anything that could be used against me or those around me. I'm not saying she did anything wrong. Frankly, I have no idea. But, if someone slipped something in her bag, she let her guard down. And if she had something that could be remotely construed as a drug illegal in Russia, that was one tragic mistake and one that the trip organizers should have warned her about prior to the trip. Given she has traveled there before, she really should have already been aware of these potential risks.

I wish her the best, but her supporters getting "loud," is unlikely to gain her freedom. Putin is committing genocide. Why would he care about this one woman, particularly given his attitude toward the West (and LGBTQ)?

The only option is to allow quiet diplomatic action behind the scenes.