Greener, 31, has been officially classified as “illegally detained,” a U.S. State Department official told CNN in May.
Greener was arrested at Moscow airport in February when Russian authorities claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage and accused her of smuggling significant amounts of the drug, a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and Phoenix Mercury star of the WNBA plays in Russia during the league’s off-season.
“Our position on this issue for some time has been very clear: Britney Greener should not be detained. She should not be detained for another day,” State Department spokeswoman Ned Price said on Tuesday.
The State Department learned about the news through reports in the Russian state media, Price said. The last time the United States had consular access to Greener was last month, he told reporters.
Greener’s case is being handled by the office of the US president’s special envoy for hostages, a State Department official told CNN last month. The service is leading the government’s diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Americans illegally detained abroad and has played an important role in securing the release of US citizen Trevor Reed in a prisoner exchange with Russia in late April.
Her teammates want her back home
The news of Greens’ extension comes a day after State Department officials – including those at the Hostages Service – briefed their teammates on Griner’s situation and efforts to bring her home.
“We are on Day 116 because BG was detained illegally,” said Mercury head coach Vanessa Nigor, adding: “She is our teammate, she is American and we want her to return home.”
For star guard Diana Taurazi, the State Department’s announcement that Griner’s detention was illegal signaled to the team that officers were taking the situation seriously, she said Monday.
“This is something we have all talked about intimately as a group, and now the knowledge of the State Department at the highest level – from US President Joe Biden to the team working to bring back all Americans who have been wrongfully detained – gives We have great confidence that they are working on it, “Taurazi said.
“Everything we can do to expand and put BG first will be our No. 1 priority,” she said.
Separately, Reed, a U.S. veteran who spent nearly three years in a Russian prison, filed a petition with the United Nations saying Russia had violated international law by detaining and ill-treating him, he told CNN on Tuesday.
Bringing Russia to justice will “force Russia to end this practice for all Americans who hold there,” including Griner and Paul Whelan, Reed told CNN. Whelan, a U.S. citizen and former Marine, was detained at a Moscow hotel in 2018 and arrested on espionage charges he denied.
CNN also approached the United Nations and Russia’s permanent mission to the United Nations to comment on Reid’s petition.
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler contributed to this report.
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