Camila Vega
As the situation of Brittney Griner continues to develop (she was arrested in Russia for finding vapor cartridges allegedly containing hashish), she has written a letter to the President of the United States asking that all possible steps be taken to expedite her release, so she can return home.
Here we tell you all about how the Phoenix Mercury player’s case is progressing.
Brittney Griner’s Open Letter to Biden
Brittney Griner has raised her voice for the first time in a long time to demand her freedom. The basketball player was detained in Russia and is awaiting the progress of the trial. This Sunday she addressed a letter to President Biden and her words are a plea.
Excerpts from a letter sent to the White House this week on Griner’s behalf were released on Sunday through Griner’s representatives. It is a list of thoughts. In addition, the player faces a high probability of being sentenced to ten years in prison in the foreign country. So far, she has been charged with drug trafficking and has been detained for four months for allegedly bringing hashish cartridges into the country.
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.
The WNBA star goes on to say that on July 4, she has a tradition of honoring service members, even within her own family, but that this year “freedom means something completely different to me this year.”
The final excerpt reads, “Please do all you can to bring us home.”
The Olympic winner ends with, “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.”
The detained basketball player’s wife recently said that while she felt the government was acting in good faith to bring her back, she still felt they were not doing enough, and Griner’s own words reflect that. The entire letter has not been publicly released; it is unclear what else Brittney might have written to Biden.
This is a distressing and dangerous situation for Griner’s career, and we will be keeping an eye on the response to the letter and how the situation evolves.
