Brittany Griner is a WNBA player who has been detained in Russian since her arrest on February 17th. She just sent a letter through her representatives to President Joe Biden pleading with him to take action.
Griner is facing up to 10 years in prison on drug charges that allege she smuggled vape cartridges that contained hashish into the country.
The Biden administration declared in May that Griner is being wrongfully detained by Russia. But Biden himself has made no direct statement regarding her situation.
Cherelle, Griner’s wife, has spoken with both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. The administration has said that it has been steady in its effort to deal with this matter since March, but there have been several unforced errors in their ball handling.
There was supposed to be a phone call between Griner and her wife scheduled last month, but it did not take place. The State Department said there was a “logistical error.” Griner’s wife assumed it was a ploy on Russia’s part. Some wondered if the fact that Griner is married to a woman has played a part in Russia’s resistance.
But Cherelle told the Associated Press that she eventually learned that the phone Griner was supposed to use at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow was not staffed. She said she was distraught, hurt, done, and fed up.
“We deeply regret that Brittney Griner was unable to speak with her wife because of a logistical error. We have no higher priority than the safety and security of US citizens overseas,” a State Department spokesperson told the press.
The spokesperson also added, “We remain in regular contact with the families of those held hostage or wrongfully detained; we are grateful for their partnership and feedback; and we continue to work to ensure we are communicating and sharing information in a way useful to our families.”
Griner has represented America twice on the Olympic women’s basketball team. One wonders what would be happing right now if former President Donald Trump were in the oval office instead of Biden.
It probably would have only taken one phone call to get the WNBA star on a plane bound for home.
