Brittney Griner

WNBA star Brittney Griner, in a handwritten letter to President Joe Biden, said she fears she will be detained in Russia indefinitely and pleaded with the ...

"We will continue to push for her release and make sure that she is not forgotten." "It made me cry, you know, just hearing her words talking about her father being a Vietnam vet, her new perspective on freedom, her wanting to be with her family and her teammates, her not knowing if she'll ever be free again. "I'm grateful for this overwhelming show of support from Congress. We need to be doing all we can to keep Brittney's case on the forefront and finally put an end to this nightmare," Cherelle Griner said in a statement at the time. It's over 130 days and BG's still not back." Three excerpts from the letter were made public, while the rest is being kept private, the statement said. "It's really, really difficult. I miss my teammates! I miss my family! This is not a situation where the rhetoric is matching the action," she said. I miss my wife! I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. She went on trial

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked repeatedly about the detained WNBA star on Tuesday during the regular briefing.

Griner has been able to have sporadic communications with family, friends and WNBA players through an email account her agent set up. Griner’s supporters have encouraged a prisoner swap like the one in April that brought home Marine veteran Trevor Reed in exchange for a Russian pilot convicted of drug trafficking conspiracy. “It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.” “That means she truly is terrified that she may never see us again. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked repeatedly about Griner on Tuesday during the regular briefing. However Griner’s wife, Cherelle, said Tuesday on a morning talk show that she hadn’t heard from Biden.

US President Joe Biden has read a letter from WNBA star Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for more than four months, according to the White ...

"That means she truly is terrified that she may never see us again. "It is a deeply personal letter. - She said the US President would "do everything that he can in his power to to bring her home"

In her letter, Brittney Griner reminds Biden about her father who served in Vietnam war and says she misses her wife and family.

I miss my teammates! I miss my family! “I miss my wife!

A handwritten letter from Brittney Griner was delivered to the White House on the Fourth of July.

"I realize you are dealing with so much," she wrote, "But please don't forget about me and the other American detainees. In her personal plea, Griner urged Mr. Biden to free all U.S. captives. "I believe in you. I still have so much good to do with my freedom that you can help restore," she wrote. Griner, whose trial began last week, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage. In her letter, the imprisoned WNBA star pleaded with the president not to forget her, and said her already deep appreciation for Independence Day has taken on new meaning this year.

Mercury coach Vanessa Nygaard is not pleased with how the star player's detainment in Russia has been handled.

It’s a statement about the value of a gay person. It’s a statement about the value of a black person. And that’s a statement about our society and who we value and we need to change that.” Griner’s agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas of Wasserman, tweeted after the extension, “The fact remains that the U.S. Government has determined that Brittney Griner is wrongfully detained and being used as a political pawn.” Nygaard has spoken out about the handling of Griner’s case before. Nygaard said, according to Casey L. Moor of USA TODAY. “It’s a statement about the value of women.

The letter is an escalation of a pressure campaign by the WNBA star's supporters that comes as her trial proceeds in a court outside of Moscow.

… Four months is too long for this to have gone on, and I hope the president acts on her pleas to come home.” She deserves to see the United States is doing something for her, so she can find the strength as this show trial goes on. “After speaking with her wife last week, I am deeply concerned for Brittney Griner’s physical, mental and spiritual well-being,” Sharpton said in a statement. After being able to speak with Griner in the courtroom, Rood said, “She is doing as well as expected under these difficult circumstances.” In early May, the State Department declared Griner’s case a “wrongful detainment,” an official classification that elevated it to the office of the U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. I try to put myself in her shoes, and I’d want somebody fighting for me — people who won’t shut up.” Asked for comment on Griner’s letter to Biden, Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, told The Washington Post: “[Biden’s] team is in regular contact with Brittney’s family and we will continue to work to support her family. “Whatever that is.” Her trial began Friday and is expected to continue Thursday; Griner has yet to enter a plea. This letter is going to make them pay attention.” But U.S. officials have not commented on the likelihood of such a swap. In April, U.S. officials secured the release of former Marine Trevor Reed from Russia through a prisoner swap.

Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA all-star who plays on a Russian team during the off season, was arrested four months ago at Moscow's ...

But both Bout and Griner up the stakes in ways that could complicate a deal. In fact, she thought the sentence “was too high at the time.” Bout was convicted of conspiring to sell arms to the FARC, the Colombian guerilla group that the U.S. had designated as a terrorist organization. The makings of a trade are here and plausible. Ultimately, it will be Biden and Putin who determine the fates of these unlikely hostage prisoners—the American women’s basketball star and the Russian merchant of death. In 2008, Bout was arrested in Thailand for arranging to sell millions of dollars’ worth of weapons to undercover agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, who were pretending to be members of FARC. Thai authorities agreed to extradite him to the U.S. for trial. However, Bout himself “was not a terrorist in my opinion,” Scheindlin said—”he was a businessman.” But under U.S. law, 25 years was the minimum sentence for someone convicted of selling arms to terrorists, so she had no choice. It’s not out of the question. Some doubt whether she would have been arrested if not for the hostile tensions between Washington and Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin may also see the case as an opportunity to spotlight his crusade against drugs and homosexuality, which he sees as Western scourges. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has since said the U.S. government has “no higher priority” than to bring Griner home. Tuesday morning, I emailed Scheindlin—who is now retired from the bench, working as a private litigator and arbitrator—and asked whether (1) the Times article accurately captured her views and (2) she has recently discussed the case with any U.S. officials. However, the last few paragraphs of a long story about Griner’s plight in Sunday’s New York Times suggest that an exchange wouldn’t be so improper or improbable after all. Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and six-time WNBA all-star who plays on a Russian team during the off season, was arrested four months ago at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport for carrying vape cartridges and hashish oil in her luggage.

In a handwritten letter from Brittney Griner that was delivered to the White House, Griner wrote about how terrified she is.

"Initially I was told, you know, we are going to try to reserve, we're going to try to handle this behind scenes and let's not raise her value and you know stay quiet. It was very very hard to hear that charge." I'm sure she is like 'I'm going to write him and ask now because my family has tried to no avail, so I'm going to do it myself,'" said Cherelle. But I promise I'm not insane, not yet' she said. You know, I share those same sentiments," Cherelle said. That means she truly is terrified that she may never see us again.

President Joe Biden is expected to respond to WNBA star Brittney Griner as soon as Wednesday following her handwritten letter pleading for his help with ...

Jean-Pierre declined to say whether the president would accept a prisoner swap as part of a deal for her freedom. One senior administration official said the U.S. doesn’t expect a resolution for Griner before her trial plays out, which is likely to take weeks. Biden has been under increasing pressure to demonstrate progress toward her release as she faces a trial for drug smuggling charges.

President Biden and Vice President Harris on Wednesday spoke with the wife of Brittney Griner to offer support as the WNBA star remains detained in Russia.

She faces 10 years in prison if convicted in a trial that began last week and is set to resume Thursday. Cherelle Griner said in a Tuesday interview with CBS that it was “very disheartening” not to have heard from Biden directly. Biden spoke with Cherelle Griner two days after Brittney Griner wrote a letter to the president expressing her alarm about her ongoing detention.

Griner recently penned a letter to President Biden asking him to help her and other American detainees in Russia.

Because being quiet, they are not moving.” Driving the news: “I will not be quiet anymore,” she told CBS. “I will find that balance of harm versus help in pushing our government to do everything that’s possible. Because being quiet, they are not moving.”

US president Joe Biden spoke Wednesday with the wife of detained WNBA player Brittney Griner, who is on trial in Russia, and assured her that that he is ...

“He also read her a draft of the letter the President is sending to Brittney Griner today.” The trial is scheduled to resume Thursday. Biden’s conversation with Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, followed Brittney Griner’s personal appeal to the president in a handwritten letter from the basketball player the White House received on Monday. In the letter, Griner acknowledged her fears that she would spend forever in detention in Russia and asked Biden not “forget about me and the other American Detainees”.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke by phone Wednesday with Cherelle Griner, the wife of WNBA star Brittney Griner, who is detained ...

There has been growing frustration among the families of those of wrongful detainees abroad who feel that the Biden administration is not doing enough to secure their loved ones' releases. He did not promise a meeting with Biden, but sought to assure them that the administration is making every effort to bring their loved ones home. He also read her a draft of the letter the President is sending to Brittney Griner today," the White House said. She went on trial in a court near Moscow on Friday on drug smuggling charges. I miss my family! I miss my wife!

The president "offered his support to Cherelle and Brittney's family, and he committed to ensuring they are provided with all possible assistance."

I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. In her letter, she called on Biden to get her and others who are detained in Russia home. "He also read her a draft of the letter the President is sending to Brittney Griner today."

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris told Cherelle Griner they would pursue “every avenue” to bring her wife, Brittney Griner, home from Russia.

Experts said Brittney Griner’s trial was likely to end in a conviction. There’s no presumption of innocence, really.” The women have been able to communicate with each other only through letters. “There’s a bias mainly because the Russian judicial system says they really should not go to trial unless the defendant is going to be convicted,” said William Pomeranz, the acting director of the Kennan Institute and an expert on Russian law. On Tuesday, Cherelle Griner appeared on “CBS Mornings” and spoke about her disappointment that Brittney Griner’s family had not received a reply to Brittney Griner’s letter from the president. On Wednesday, President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner, the wife of the W.N.B.A. star Brittney Griner, according to statement released by the White House. Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia on drug charges since February.

The White House said President Biden and Vice President Harris spoke with Cherelle Griner on Wednesday, as more of the WNBA star's supporters publicly ...

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As US basketball player Brittney Griner stands trial in Russia accused of drug smuggling, a growing number of other foreign nationals are also imprisoned in ...

Reed was sentenced to nine years in prison for endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers, a charge which he and US officials denied. In Griner’s case, her status as a high-profile athlete could make her a particularly valuable political pawn that the US is keen to repatriate. According to Noble, it is unclear whether Russian authorities intend to increase detentions of foreign nationals for political ends, but many may now fear a hostile welcome if they should travel there. “A person could be sitting on remand for a very long time, while the investigator could be in no hurry to actually investigate,” says Natalia Prilutskaya, Amnesty International’s researcher for Russia. At the end of this ordeal, there is little hope of a fair trial. Even though they are legally supposed to spend a maximum of two months on remand under Russian law, extensions are often granted.

The WNBA athlete sent a letter to Biden last week imploring White House action on her Russian detainment.

Biden’s conversation with Cherelle Griner follows a concerted push from the Griner family to escalate the two-time Olympic gold medalist’s detention. “And respectfully, we’re over 140 days at this point. Biden and Harris speak to the wife of Brittney Griner

In a society where men and women athletes were valued equally, female basketball players would not need to travel overseas in the offseason to earn extra ...

What’s not understandable is that pay for professional athletes in this nation is so lopsided that it has driven women to seek opportunities in dangerous corners of the world. But it shouldn’t have taken more than four months and a string of public pleas for Biden to show the Griner family that he has her back. The increasingly public campaign pressuring President Biden to do more to bring Griner home indicates that any quiet negotiations that may be taking place behind the scenes have not been successful. Not conceding leaves Griner suffering in a Russian prison. This punishment does not fit the alleged crime, and it’s clear that Griner is essentially a political hostage. The federal government uses the term when it has information indicating that an American’s arrest overseas was invalid or that they will be treated unfairly in a foreign justice system.

LOS ANGELES – On the Fourth of July, a day when Americans celebrate their independence, Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner remained imprisoned in Russia ...

“You saw the work that (Biden) administration did to bring home Trevor Reed,” Jean-Pierre said. Confirmation that president Biden has read the letter will be welcome words to her family and teammates. “I think the decision for her to feel the need to directly reach out to president Biden is because of the failed attempts that we have had as a family,” Cherelle Griner said. The Biden administration and our State Department putting that at the front of their messaging would be amazing for us.” “We are going to use every tool we possibly can to make that happen. … She should be home, as well as Paul Whelan, who is being held, and any other U.S. national who is being wrongfully detained abroad.” I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. “Just hearing her words,” Nygaard said. A sizable section of Mercury fans near their bench was the most vocal, with one particular sign situated right behind the players held high for all to see. “This is an issue that has been a priority for this president.” “It hurts thinking about how I usually celebrate this day because freedom means something completely different to me this year.” Secretary (of State Anthony) Blinken also spoke with Mrs. Griner as well, recently.”

As much as the Biden administration wants to bring her home, BRITTNEY GRINER will likely remain in a Russian prison for at least a few more months. That fear, ...

Shoot us an email at [email protected] or [email protected] to be featured in the next edition of the newsletter. IT’S WEDNESDAY: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Johnson maintains that he should still remain prime minister, defending his domestic record and his leadership of the West’s retaliation against Russia for the Ukraine invasion. The satellite buses will be produced in Florida by the company’s joint venture with OneWeb. Other companies working for Northrop on the project include Mynaric and Innoflight, which will provide optical links. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN will meet with his Chinese counterpart, WANG YI, on the sidelines and will work to avoid Russian Foreign Minister SERGEY LAVROV. What’s more, “Blinken will find himself among diplomats from countries wary of the U.S. approach to Ukraine and concerned about its impact on them,” Lee wrote. In addition, businesses will be required by law to supply goods and services necessary for conducting the ‘special military operation’ to the armed forces,” Reuters continued. The government may also oblige some employees to work at night, on weekends or during holidays, in return for increased wages.” Even so, the Biden administration is working to place Griner back into the arms of her wife, family and teammates. The former Marine’s health was also failing at the time of the prisoner swap, and the Russians likely did not want to deal with his potential death on their watch. He may not have the power he once did following his arrest and 2011 conviction, but few in the U.S. and elsewhere want to give him the chance to regain it. Some people we spoke with noted the U.S. secured TREVOR REED’s release in April — two months into the war — indicating it was still possible to deal with Russia on such matters. "The Russians are making maximalist demands in exchange for Griner," a U.S. official told us, refusing to elaborate.

Welcome to POLITICO's West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from Allie Bice.

A White House spokesperson said they’d check and asked for time to talk to some of the people involved. Send us your best on the presidents with a citation and we may feature it. The attorney has reached out to a number of people in Griner’s camp, including her agent, but he said he has not received responses. FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: Not everyone was pleased with the White House’s statement today about its call with Griner’s wife. At 3:11 p.m., The Wall Street Journal published a story including a prepared statement from Chief RON KLAIN. This isn’t the first time the White House has done something like this to reporters. Before the White House, she was briefings director for the Biden campaign. Bout’s lawyer, STEVE ZISSOU, said he has been encouraged by increasing calls he’s getting from reporters as Griner’s case has gotten more attention, and has been pleased by some of the high-profile advocates calling for a prisoner swap. REPORTERS BEWARE: Alex got wind of Bedingfield’s departure early and called the White House at 2:53 p.m. to ask for comment about it. Still, the Richardson team has been credited with playing a role in the release of Reed earlier this year. The Biden administration has looked at Richardson with some annoyance, viewing the freelance diplomatic efforts as a bit of a publicity stunt and an occasional complication with official efforts. Whereas those efforts were unsuccessful, a former U.S. official familiar with the issue said the Russians now have more leverage. But they did not start working with the family until April, when Griner’s team began a more public effort to get her released.

The Biden administration said it is working to get Brittney Griner out of Russian detention. She's been in Russian custody since February when authorities ...

"And those things are obviously going to make Brittney's time there a lot more difficult than if they just had taken another American hostage." Russia detained and convicted Reed in 2019 for attacking Russian authorities. Her trial began on July 1, and she faces up to 10 years in Russian imprisonment. However, Russia is likely asking for a Russian arms dealer, nicknamed "the Merchant of Death," in exchange for Griner, Tass, a Russian news source, reported in May. Griner, WNBA player for the Phoenix Mercury, was taken into Russian custody on February 17. The US State Department maintains that Griner is "wrongfully detained" and on Wednesday, Biden told Griner's wife, Cherelle, that he " is working to secure Brittney's release as soon as possible."

“It's really painful and hard to watch, and it's really taken a toll on a lot of us,” said Kelly Gedney of Surprise, Arizona. “We can feel the fear that she has ...

She needs to be back with her family and friends. “One hundred thirty-nine days have passed since my wife has been able to speak to me, to our family and our friends,” Cherelle Griner said during the rally, stopping to compose herself several times. The WNBA and U.S. officials have worked to free Griner, without success. Griner has spent the past four months in a Russian prison and is currently on trial. She’s been wrongfully detained and we’re going to do everything we can to get her home.” It’s scary to me that she’s in a cage when she is traveling to her court cases.