It has been nearly five months since WNBA star Brittney Griner was initially detained in Russia for allegedly carrying vape cartridges containing hashish oil, a marijuana concentrate, which is a criminal offense in that country.
Since then, things have gotten even worse for Griner, who is currently enduring a criminal trial where she faces up to ten years in Russian prison if found guilty, which is extremely likely considering Russia reportedly has a 99 percent conviction rate for criminal cases, according to a report from the Associated Press last month.
This has created some clear urgency for the U.S government to get involved and bring her back to the United States.
Many have called upon the Biden Administration to seek a potential deal with Russia quickly to bring her home, and it appears that we may finally be seeing some sense of urgency on the matter.
Griner wrote an impassioned letter to President Joe Biden where she gave the unfortunate admission that she fears that she may never return to the United States, and asked that Biden doesn’t “forget about me and the other American Detainees”.
It appears that Biden has heard the message loud and clear as he spoke with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, on Wednesday and told her that he is “working to assure Griner’s freedom as soon as possible.”
“The President called Cherelle to reassure her that he is working to secure Brittney’s release as soon as possible, as well as the release of Paul Whelan and other U.S. nationals who are wrongfully detained or held hostage in Russia and around the world,” the White House said in a statement. “He also read her a draft of the letter the President is sending to Brittney Griner today.”
This is obviously great news and has many hopeful that Griner will finally be released from Russia shortly.
Free Brittney Griner 💯 https://t.co/pHXytokER8
— Just Pif 💫 (@pifwitdabagg) July 6, 2022
— Ashley Ja'Terria (@All_N_Yo_Tweets) July 6, 2022
It is curious that Biden is finally giving this statement after nearly five months of detainment for Griner, but it is better late than never. Hopefully, we’ll see some kind of deal between Russia and the United States in the near future that will bring Griner and other American prisoners in Russia home.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.