In view of the current situation, and the war between Russia and Ukraine, here is an article that could interest you and challenge you.
According to the NY Times and Russian agency TASS, Brittney Griner, a 7-time WNBA ALL-STAR and member of the US women's Olympic basketball team, was arrested by the Russian Federal Customs Service after they found cannabis oil in his luggage.
She currently plays for the UMMC Yekaterinburg club, which participates in the premier women's basketball league in Russia. On March 5, Russian state television published an undated photo of Griner taken at a local police station. Here is the statement from one of the Russian officials in charge of the investigation: "An expert determined that the product was a narcotic, cannabis oil. A criminal case was opened against an American citizen for smuggling a significant quantity of drugs."
When Griner's luggage was checked at Sheremetyevo International Airport, customs reportedly found vaping cartridges made with cannabis oil. We do not know whether she was leaving the country or arriving at that time. Many foreign and American athletes have already left the country following Russia's declaration of war against Ukraine. It is also unclear how long the basketball player has been held in detention, but CCTV footage from the airport from February suggests she may have been held for as long as 2 or 3 weeks.
A criminal case was therefore opened against Griner, accused of “large-scale transportation of drugs, a crime punishable by 10 years of imprisonment in Russia” according to the NY times.
As tensions continue to rise between the United States and Russia, against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, there are fears that the detention of Brittney Griner is mainly a political tool to put pressure on the American government, given her status as a sportswoman and celebrity.
