Russia said Thursday that US “hype” over women’s basketball star Brittney Griner, held in Russia on drug smuggling charges, will not help her case after President Joe Biden spoke out against her detention.
“The hype and working on the public, with all the love for this genre among modern politicians, currently only disturbs (the court process),” deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies.
“It does not just distract from the case, but creates interference in the core sense of the word. Silence is needed here.”
His comments came a day after Biden spoke to Griner’s wife, saying the star was “wrongfully detained” and wrote a letter to the WNBA player.
Ryabkov said “it is not correspondence of this kind that can help, but a serious perception by the American side of the signals they received from Moscow, through specialised channels”.
The two-time Olympic champion — who has been held in Russia since February — faces up to 10 years in prison on charges of smuggling cannabis vape cartridges into the country.
The 31-year-old is due to appear in court for another hearing later Thursday.
The White House said Wednesday it is “working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible”.
Griner was detained in the days before Russia sent troop into Ukraine, after which the United States and its allies imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Moscow.
Her case has become one of many sticking points in relations between the United States and Russia, with Washington putting its special envoy in charge of hostages on the case.
Griner had asked Biden to help free her from prison in a hand-written letter presented to the White House on July 4, US Independence Day.
“I realise you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees,” Griner wrote.
“Please do all you can to bring us home.”
