Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) star Brittney Griner remains imprisoned in Russia following a drug-related arrest earlier in the year. [Maybe include more details about why she was arrested and the double standards she’s experiencing? Only if you’re comfortable of course] In recent press releases, Griner claims that Russian authorities did not translate her documents nor did they explain to her that she was arrested for two days following her initial arrest. Her translator did not properly translate for her, leaving her vulnerable to manipulation and apparently leading to her signing papers that she did not understand or properly consent to signing.

While Griner’s arrest might not seem particularly relevant in terms of international politics, many suspect that Russia’s refusal to release her is a game of leverage in the Ukraine War. Russia arrested Griner prior to its February invasion of Ukraine, and there is reason to believe that Griner’s continued imprisonment is a ploy for political negotiation power with the United States. As the article points out, there are rumors that the U.S. is in talks with Russia to do a prisoner swap, exchanging Griner for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms-dealer imprisoned in the U.S.