In Hollywood movies, hostage-taking is often framed as an act committed by militant or criminal groups operating independent of a country’s government.
However, right now U.S. citizens are more often taken hostage by foreign governments than by nonstate actors.
Sadly, it seems that the detention of WNBA champ Brittney Griner by Russian authorities may be part of that trend.
The publicly released details about Griner’s case are sparse. This may be due to a desire by the U.S.
such as racial disparities in missing persons coverage. But what we know doesn’t support the theory that this is just a routine arrest.
First, the timing is suspicious. Griner was detained in February, during Russia’s preparations to invade Ukraine. Then, the news about her detention was concealed.
Russia released the information only later, on March 5, at one of the highest points of tension between the U.S. and Russia in decades.
Mumbai City FC become the first Indian club to win in Asian Champions