When the United States secured the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner by sending convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout back to Russia in a prisoner swap, it was seen by many as quite a controversial decision, especially because president Joe Biden left former United States marine Paul Whelan still imprisoned in Russia. And as it turns out, Whelan wasn’t the only one the American the United States failed to bring home as American school teacher Sarah Krivanek was forgotten.
Sarah Krivanek was teaching in Russia when she was convicted of a crime she claims she did not commit and sentenced to one year in prison after a trial without a jury. But she told ABC News that she feels like a “forgotten American” because the United States mostly ignored her throughout the process and did nearly nothing to secure her release.
The State Department claims they did work on Krivanek's case but didn't provide any evidence.
"She said she feels like the forgotten American," ABC's Will Reeve reported. pic.twitter.com/a7nqhtBH2C— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) December 22, 2022
Given everything the United States did to help bring Brittney Griner home, Krivanek is upset that the United States didn’t do more to help her. Instead, she had to serve her full sentence. And she wants Joe Biden to know that she doesn’t think her treatment was fair.
“All American citizens should get the same level of service no matter what the situation is,” Krivanek said. “Don’t forget about me, and don’t forget about the others.”
Krivanek is home now after serving her whole sentence, but she claims she got no help from the state department and hasn’t heard from anyone in the United States government since she returned.
