WNBA star Brittney Griner wrote a handwritten letter to the White House addressed to Joe Biden, saying that she feared she would be here forever. The letter was delivered to the White House on Monday morning. Griner pleaded with the president not to forget her and said that her appreciation for Independence Day had a new meaning this year.
“I’m terrified I might be here forever,” Griner wrote. Griner has been detained in Russia since mid-February. “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 was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage. Griner, during the off-season, plays for Russia. She originally plays for the Phoenix Mercury as a center.
Her trial began last week, and the U.S. said Griner is being wrongfully detained. The White House said that bringing Griner home is a “priority.”
“We believe the Russian Federation is wrongfully detaining Brittney Griner. 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. The U.S. government continues to work aggressively – using every available means – to bring her home,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement on Monday. “The President’s team is in regular contact with Brittney’s family, and we will continue to work to support her family.”
