U.S. classifies Brittney Griner as 'wrongfully detained' by Russia in 'significant shift'

(Image credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

published 3 May 2022

In a shift, the United States is reportedly now classifying Brittney Griner as being "wrongfully detained" in Russia.

An official from the State Department confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday the U.S. has "determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained" the WNBA star.

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Classifying Griner as being wrongfully detained marked a "significant shift," which indicates that the U.S. "will no longer wait for Griner's case to play out through the Russian legal system and will seek to negotiate her return," ESPN wrote. According to the report, Bill Richardson, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and international hostage negotiator, is also now working on Griner's case.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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