Russian state television released the first new photo of Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner since she was arrested at a Russian airport in February, CNN reports.
Details: The photo — which you can see below — shows Griner standing against a wall in a police station.
- Griner holds a piece of paper in the photo.
- The paper has her name on it.
- It’s unclear when the photo was taken.
Flashback: Griner was arrested at the end of February at an airport in Moscow after authorities reportedly found vape cartridges and hashish oil in her luggage. This is considered a crime, according to ESPN.
- The Russian Federal Customs Service confirmed the arrest in a statement last weekend.
- She faces a potential 10 years in prison in Russia if convicted, according to Fox News.
Why it matters: A former Pentagon official told Yahoo Sports that Griner could be considered a “high-profile hostage” for Russia.
Why they’re saying: “We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA,” Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Griner’s agent, told ESPN in a statement. “As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”