The article discusses the case of Brittney Griner, a US basketball star who was sentenced to nine years in prison in Russia for drug possession and smuggling. Griner was arrested in February at a Moscow airport after vape cartridges containing cannabis oil were found in her luggage. The court near Moscow convicted her on charges of possessing and smuggling drugs, despite her claims that she had no criminal intent and that the cartridges were for personal medical use. The harsh sentence has raised concerns that Griner is being used as a political pawn amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US government has classified Griner as “wrongfully detained” and has proposed a prisoner swap to secure her release, but no deal has been reached yet. The case highlights the tense relations between the US and Russia over the Ukraine conflict.