Americans currently in Russia should leave as soon as possible.
CNN reported that a U.S. State Department travel advisory advised Americans to “exercise greater caution due to the possibility of wrongful detentions.”
According to the advisory, Russian security services had previously detained Americans and denied them fair treatment. They convicted them without any credible evidence.
According to the State Department, Russian security services also target foreign and international organizations they consider “undesirable”.
Brittney Griner, WNBA star, was famously detained at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport last February after customs officials found cannabis oil vape canisters in her luggage. Although she pleaded guilty, she was still facing trial in July.
In December, she was released from prison in a swap.