Trevor Reed understands the situation Brittney Griner is currently in better than just about anyone. The U.S. Marine spent three years detained in a Russian prison before being released in April. Monday, he called on the U.S. government and White House to step up their efforts to get the WNBA star out and back home.
Marine vet Trevor Reed describes the conditions he lived in while he was imprisoned in Russia #FreeBrittneyGriner pic.twitter.com/Yoc7zOWg8u
— Ariana Garcia 🇵🇷 (@Ariana_noGrande) June 7, 2022
“There is no justice in Russia,” he said, speaking at a rally for Griner in Houston. “Brittney and Paul will not receive justice in Russia. They’re not going to receive a fair trial, they will not receive a fair investigation. They will be there as hostages until the United States gets them out.”n the hooper’s Houston hometown on Monday.
He has described the conditions of Russian prisons as “completely inhospitable,” featuring rotten food and subpar medical care. He also called the country’s legal system “medieval.”
“Every day that you’re in prison there, it’s like you’re waking up to a nightmare,” he said.
Griner was detained at a Moscow airport in February for allegedly carrying vape cartridges that Russian officials claimed had hashish oil, a marijuana concentrate, which is currently illegal within the country. Griner could face up to ten years in prison if convicted.
The arrest wasn’t made public until March, which led to an outcry from many on social media and in the American media about the lack of coverage. The U.S. government has been in a tricky situation where they want to help Griner but they also don’t want to signal to the Russian government that she has value as a political pawn.
According to Russia, the WNBA and Olympics star will remain in pretrial detention until at least June 18.
There has been an outcry of support in the effort to get Griner released. Her wife has been making many appearances and the Boston Celtics recently wore shirts supporting her during practice before Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
[CNN]
