White House responds to Brittney Griner letter to President Joe Biden
As WNBA star Brittney Griner remains in Russia while detained on drug charges, the White House provided a response to her most recent plea. Griner has been detained as a prisoner of the Russian government for over four months, and wrote a personal letter to US President Joe Biden on the 4th of July to ask for assistance getting her and her fellow US citizens home that are detained in Russia.
White House responds to Brittney Griner’s letter
“Karine Jean-Pierre says President Biden has read Brittney Griner’s handwritten letter to Biden,” explained CNN’s MJ Lee on Tuesday. “Griner is being ‘wrongfully detained,’ KJP says. ‘This is an issue that is a priority for this president.’ Says the government will use ‘every tool’ to try to get her out.”
Unfortunately for Griner and her fellow detainees currently held in Russia amid their continued conflict with Ukraine, it does not appear that the US government has any immediate good news. Griner was detained mere days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, leading many to claim that she was being held as a political prisoner.
Griner, who plays basketball in Russia during the WNBA’s offseason, was arrested on Feb. 17 at a Moscow airport on allegations of attempted drug smuggling. Russian authorities claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage and accused her of smuggling significant amounts of a narcotic substance, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The former Baylor star is currently undergoing her criminal trial and is facing further detention as the results of her trial are reviewed. According to a report from the BBC on Griner’s trial, “fewer than 1% of defendants in criminal cases are acquitted in Russia.” As the report highlights, Russia’s government also has the authority to overturn a court ruling if she is acquitted by the trial and send her to prison at their discretion.
Griner’s letter to the US government
“… as I sit here in a Russian prison, alone with my thoughts and without the protection of my wife, family, friends, Olympic jersey, or any accomplishments, I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner’s statement to President Biden read. “On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran. It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.
“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore. I miss my wife! I miss my family! I miss my teammates! It kills me to know they are suffering so much right now. I am grateful for whatever you can do at this moment to get me home.”