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Why was Brittney Griner detained at a Russian airport in February 2022?
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Brittney Griner
Basketball star Brittney Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury, shown during a 2019 WNBA game.
On February 17, 2022, Brittney Griner was detained at a Russian airport upon her arrival in the country to play for her team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.1
Russian officials alleged that her luggage contained vape cartridges filled with cannabis oil, a substance that is illegal in Russia. Although Griner later pleaded guilty to the charges, she maintained that the cartridges had been packed accidentally. Following her conviction for smuggling illegal drugs with criminal intent, she was sentenced to nine years in a penal colony before eventually being released in December 2022 as part of a prisoner exchange.12