Griner is far from the only gay person, let alone the only person, to make a living working in Russia. And a lot of the people moaning about her release now are making a handsome living being apologists for the worst Putin has done and is.

I think to dump on her for using her opportunities which, as a gay black woman, are a lot less than those of the straight white men crapping on her, is victim blaming. What she did or did not have in her bags, is very unclear as it appears she was encouraged to admit to more than she did in a failed attempt to win favour from the Russians, and she certainly was not in a good position at her trial. Regardless of that, she is not a criminal. She is a victim of Putin as surely as any other person he's wrongfully and corruptly imprisoned. Blaming a gay woman for Putin's homophobic rampages isn't right, to my mind.

Sportspeople are put in invidious situations too often just to earn money, as we've just seen in Qatar. Griner had every reason to think she would be safe returning to Russia again. She was wrong.

The scumbag was due for release in two years, by the way.