© NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty ImagesRussian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova criticized the US for calling jailed WNBA star Brittney Griner “wrongfully detained.”
Griner has been locked up in Russia since February, when she was busted for having cannabis vape cartridges in her luggage as she arrived at a Moscow airport.
"If a US citizen was taken in connection with the fact that she was smuggling drugs, and she does not deny this, then this should be commensurate with our Russian, local laws, and not with those adopted in San Francisco, New York and Washington," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
She went on to call Americans "drug-addicted."
"If drugs are legalized in the United States, in a number of states, and this is done for a long time, and now the whole country will become drug-addicted, this does not mean that all other countries are following the same path," she said.
The State Department designated Griner — who pleaded guilty to possessing 0.7 grams of cannabis oil but argued that it was medical marijuana she'd inadvertently brought to Moscow — as wrongfully detained in May, moving her case under the purview of its chief hostage negotiator.
The All-Star pleaded guilty earlier this month, but argued that she did not intend to break the law when she entered the country with medically prescribed cannabis to treat persistent pain from sports injuries.
She was entering the country to play for a Russian team during the WNBA's offseason.
The US has repeatedly alleged that Griner's detention is a political play by Moscow, which the Kremlin denies.
In May, the Biden administration assigned Griner's case to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, a State Department team tasked with negotiating the release of Americans being held hostage and others classified as being wrongfully detained in other countries.
There are limits to what American diplomacy can do for U.S. citizens who travel to foreign countries and run afoul of their laws.
this is so true, even for the stupid american mercenaries that travel to the front to shoot ruskies, silly sods, ffs, what dont they understand!! they are looking at the death penalty, as the war regs dont cover trigger happy stupid as fuk americans, or any other trigger happy fuknut that goes abroad to kill our Russian friends..
"make clear to the prisoner that the judicial system and personal rights he or she enjoyed in the United States do not apply abroad."
true indeed, if ya did ya homework cowboy, you now realize you shouldnt of left ya happy little cowboy life in the good old U S OF FUKN "A"!!
cant fix stupid, as millions of american citizens hate there own country, bossman in office a full on pedo, with a crackhead son committing sexually serious crimes with very young women, also on the meth, from 16-21yrs old.. an pedo pete jealous of course, as he had no sniff in the matter, ffs.. the world has gone to shite.. well, america certainly has..
come on our Russian friends, an Chinese friends, that helped the nazi financed weak as piss nations come to power back in the early 30s, it seems they learned nothing, you both helped the west rise above the nazis, then received little to NO thanks for your commitment and sacrifice,
now, 80 yrs later, the tide has turned, you can sink the us buck driven mentality, and create a new world, of peace for all, where no more can another cold as fuk, dark hearted nation just nuke another, just to see if it worked, 3 weeks after it surrendered, and have been using this threat to all else if they cross this evil as fuks path.. so,,
a new world is in the birthing process as we speak, hooray, looking forward to it..
thank you Russia and China for speaking truths, against this pin dick ego driven mongrel us gov an its bitching methhead sniffing child trafficking congress..