A spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin is now pushing back on the U.S. State Department’s position that WNBA star Brittney Griner is being wrongfully detained in Russia, saying in an interview on Monday that “she violated Russian law, and now she’s being prosecuted.”
“It’s not about being a hostage. There are lots of American citizens here. They’re enjoying their freedoms … but you have to obey the laws,” Dmitry Peskov told NBC News.
“Why should we make an exemption for a foreign citizen?” Peskov said.
Griner has been detained since February after authorities allegedly found hashish oil in her luggage.
Peskov said he could not speak about the decision of Russian law enforcement when he was asked why she had not just been directed back home or refused entry.
Last month, President Joe Biden declared that Griner was being wrongfully detained in Russia. Her detention has been extended several times, the latest of which is through early July.
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Griner has yet to see her day in Russian court.
The 31-year-old All-Star was arrested at a Moscow airport in mid-February for allegedly having cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage. She was entering the country in order to play for a Russian team during the WNBA’s off season, as she has for the past several years.
