Texas Congresswoman Demands Russia Release WNBA Star Brittney Griner Following Her Arrest

Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is "demanding" that Russia release Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner from custody.

The 72-year-old congresswoman confirmed at a Saturday press conference that the 31-year-old WNBA star has been detained by Russian authorities "for almost a month" after vape cartridges believed to contain hash oil were allegedly found in her luggage.

Griner has been charged with smuggling "narcotic drugs" into the country, according to the Russia Federal Customs Service statement. The two-time Olympic basketball champion faces five to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Lee, who represents Griner's hometown of Houston, is now joining the Mercury, the WNBA, Griner's personal representation, and others in attempting to bring the athlete back to the United States.

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At Saturday's press conference aired by FOX 26 Houston, the Democrat called for the issue to be handled "diplomatically" and said Russia "has no right to hold Ms. Griner, period."

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"Let me be very clear, Brittney Griner is a United States citizen. She was a guest in Russia … I will be demanding her release," she told the crowd.

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Lee also said she has contacted the U.S. State Department "to try and get them to focus on her circumstances." The 18th district representative noted "how dangerous it is right now in Moscow," and "in Moscow prisons" especially, as protesters are arrested by the thousands as they oppose the conflict waged in Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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"It is no place for her," Lee said, later adding that her main concern is "to be helpful to ensure that while she is there, she can be appropriately cared for," similar to other U.S. detainees.

Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Brittney Griner

"Please, allow Miss Griner to leave. Allow her legal representation to handle her matters," Lee said.

Griner is a member of the UMMC Ekaterinburg, a Russian basketball team that competes in the Russian Premier League and FIBA Europe's EuroLeague Women. The two-time Olympic gold medalist is one of several WNBA players that competes overseas during the offseason.

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The Russia Federal Customs Service announced Griner's arrest on Saturday, though she allegedly has been in custody for over three weeks. Her arrest reportedly came shortly before Russia launched its attack on Ukraine on Feb. 24 — the first major land conflict in Europe in decades.

The invasion, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has drawn condemnation around the world and increasingly severe economic sanctions against Russia. With NATO forces massing in the region around Ukraine, various countries have also pledged aid or military support to the resistance.

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty

On Saturday, the basketball star's wife Cherelle Griner thanked her partner's supporters in a post on her Instagram page featuring a smiling shot of the two sitting on a beach.

"Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me regarding my wife's safe return from Russia. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated," she wrote in the caption. "I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life."

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Cherelle added, "I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely. Thank you!"

In addition to requesting Brittney's release, Lee asked Russia to "stop harassing U.S. citizens" and to release any prisoners currently being held there. She then asked the U.S. "to pay special attention to all of those detained in Russia at this time."

"The one thing about Russian prisoners, when they are foreign [or] from foreign countries, the treatment is horrific," Lee said Saturday. "Their lives are in jeopardy. Their health is in jeopardy. We don't know whether they'll make it. Their healthcare is not provided. They're not eating right."

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"I know that first-hand from the prisoners and the families that I've talked to whose loved ones are still in Russia today," she continued, adding that she hopes the U.S. "can demand the release of their citizens now and at least demand that they are protected, their health is protected, and that they are not having these enormous sentences."

Sergei Guneyev/TASS/Getty Russian President Vladimir Putin

Lee then accused Putin of holding certain prisoners "to agitate [and] harass" the U.S. "But now, there's no ground that he can stand on," she said.

"He is a harasser, a terrorist, [and] a killer," the Texas politician added. "He's killing innocent people in Ukraine, and we need to get our citizens out [of Russia] immediately."

The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing quickly. Follow PEOPLE's complete coverage of the war here, including stories from citizens on the ground and ways to help.