Brittney Griner is begging President Biden not to forget about her while she sits behind bars in Russia.
The WNBA star, who was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after officials allegedly found cannabis oil in her luggage, fears she may be trapped forever, she said in a handwritten note to the president.
“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,” she wrote, according to a partial copy of the letter released Monday by her representatives.
The trial for the two-time Olympic gold medalist began Friday and is expected to resume Thursday, but experts say Griner has slim odds of being acquitted.
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“On the 4th of July, our family normally honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father who is a Vietnam War Veteran. It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year,” Griner wrote.
“I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American Detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home. 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.”
In early May, the State Department formally designated Griner as “wrongfully detained” and announced that the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs would begin working to secure her release.
But publicly, there’s been little movement on getting the 31-year-old Phoenix Mercury player home.
The White House said Monday that national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken “have spoken several times with Brittney’s wife in recent weeks” and that the administration “continues to work aggressively — using every available means — to bring her home.”
“President Biden has been clear about the need to see all U.S. nationals who are held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad released, including Brittney Griner,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
