This American-Israeli Mom Arrested In Russia For Having Cannabis Wants before Brittney Griner.

Russian authorities arrested Naama Issachar, an Israeli American, in April 2019 for possessing less than nine grams of cannabis. The arrest has brought comparisons to that of Brittney Griner, the WNBA player facing a 10-year prison sentence at a Moscow detention center. While the U.S. embassy in Moscow is involved in Griner's case, it was lightly involved with Issachar's—though Trump spoke out about her after his administration met with Putin last month.

Since 2013, over 5,500 arrests in Russia for having between 0.5 and 15 grams of cannabis on their person or in their homes.

As far as we know, there haven't been any other Americans or Israelis arrested since then either.

As she awaits her ruling, the 28-year-old Griner's case has brought comparisons to that of Brittney Griner, the WNBA player facing a 10-year prison sentence at a Moscow detention center.

The two were both arrested in April for trying to smuggle cannabis into Russia. The American stands accused of attempting to bring 10 grams of marijuana into the country, while Russian authorities caught her Israeli counterpart carrying more than 50 grams (1.75 ounces).

While the U.S. embassy in Moscow was involved in Griner's case, it was lightly engaged in Issachar's.

In the second case, however, the U.S. embassy in Moscow was only briefly involved and did not contribute to her release. Condor's lawyer, Roman Bannikov, told Haaretz that he contacted the U.S. embassy in Moscow through its hotline and asked for help dealing with Russian authorities. The embassy offered him phone numbers of people who could assist him in finding an attorney or advising him on how to handle his case - but they never got back to him after that initial contact."

According to a CNN report, the U.S. Department of State refused to comment on Issachar's case, only providing information about Americans incarcerated abroad when asked directly.

Unfortunately, there are several issues with how the U.S. Department of State handles these situations. For one thing, it refused to comment on Issachar's case, only providing information about Americans incarcerated abroad when asked directly, according to a CNN report last year. Once its embassy in Moscow got involved in Griner's case and got her out of prison within weeks, the department did not assist Issachar or other Americans who might face similar consequences at the hands of Russian authorities in the future.

This discrepancy has led some people to wonder whether race plays a role in how differently the authorities are treating these two women while imprisoned abroad; after all, Griner is black while Issachar is white (or Ashkenazi).  

Much more has been said and done publicly on behalf of Griner than Issachar, born and raised in New Jersey, attended Rutgers University, and moved to Israel when she was 19 years old to join her immigrant family there.

Much more has been said and done publicly on behalf of Griner than Issachar, born and raised in New Jersey, attended Rutgers University, and moved to Israel when she was 19 years old to join her immigrant family there.

Griner's case has received more attention because she is a famous athlete.

Issachar's case has received less attention because she is not a famous athlete.

President Trump spoke out about Griner after his administration met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.

The day after a report surfaced that Brittney Griner was in a Russian prison for having cannabis, President Trump spoke out about Griner after his administration met with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.

"I raised the issue of my friend Brittney Griner," he told reporters. "We didn't talk about it [on Friday]. We talked about that and other things." He did not elaborate on what precisely he discussed, whether Putin agreed to anything specific regarding Griner's case, or whether there were any discussions.

The United States has been criticizing Russia's treatment of its citizens for years, including its use of prison labor, which has come under fire for human rights violations. But it is unclear if any change in Russian policy will occur due to Trump raising the issue with Putin at their summit.

Conclusion

It's important to note that the U.S. has yet to take a public stance on Issachar's case, and there is no indication that it will do so anytime soon. Griner's case has drawn international attention because of her status as an athlete and celebrity. Still, it also highlights issues facing women in Russia — including gender-based violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people. While Griner remains incarcerated in Russia, Issachar was released from prison earlier this month after serving just two weeks of a two-year sentence for drug possession. She returned home to New Jersey with her family, who planned to welcome her back with open arms.