Brittney Griner Urges Joe Biden to Bring Home Evan Gershkovich

WNBA star Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle have urged the administration of President Joe Biden to bring back detained American journalist Evan Gershkovich home from Russia, according to Fox News.

"Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan (Gershkovich) and his family since Evan's detainment in Russia. We must do everything in our power to bring him and all Americans home," Griner said in a statement on Saturday.

Griner returned to the United States last year after being released from Russia in a prisoner swap for a convicted Russian arms dealer.

In the same statement, Griner also said they were grateful for Biden and his administration's commitment to rescuing Americans.

"We celebrate their recent successful efforts to bring home Jeff Woodke and Paul Rusesabagina... Every American who is taken is ours to fight for, and every American returned is a win for all," Griner noted.

"This is why we call on all of our supporters to both celebrate the wins and encourage the administration to continue to use every tool possible to bring Evan and all wrongfully detained Americans home," she added.

Evan Gershkovich Arrest in Russia

Officers from the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) stationed in Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains arrested Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich last Wednesday on suspicion of spying "in the interests of the U.S. government."

Gershkovich was accused of collecting secret information on one of the military-industrial complex companies in Russia while "acting on an assignment from the American side." Several Russian military plants are in the Urals.

After a "not guilty" plea to espionage charges, Gershkovich was officially arrested by a Moscow court and ordered to be held until May 29, awaiting an investigation, Russian media outlets reported.

The Wall Street Journal has issued a statement denying the FSB's allegations and called for Gershkovich's immediate release.

"We are deeply concerned by the troubling reports that Evan Gershkovich, an American citizen, has been detained in Russia," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

The White House and State Department officials had already spoken with the Wall Street Journal and Gershkovich's family.

Jean-Pierre noted that the State Department has been in direct touch with the Russian government on this matter, including actively working to secure consular access to Gershkovich.

She added that the Russian government's targeting of Americans "is unacceptable" and that the United States firmly disagrees with Gershkovich's arrest.

Brittney Griner's Arrest in Russia

WNBA contracts are smaller than the NBA's, which means that WNBA players are paid less. Thus, many of its star athletes are forced to go to other countries and play during the off-season. That includes Brittney Griner, who played in Russia after leading her team to the WNBA Finals.

However, as she was heading home in February 2022, she was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport for drug charges. Authorities in Russia claimed she had cannabis oil in her luggage.

The WNBA star had pleaded guilty to the charge, acknowledging in court that she had vape cartridges with cannabis oil in her luggage.

However, she said she had no criminal intent and had accidentally packed the cartridges. Griner added that she had a doctor's recommendation for it and had packed it up in a hurry.

However, the WNBA star was still sentenced to nine-year in prison. Critics of the Russian government, human rights groups, and the U.S. government said her nine-year prison sentence for simple possession of marijuana was too harsh.

While her lawyers and the U.S. government tried to secure her release, Griner was sent to a penal colony where human rights violations were prevalent. The Biden administration has continued to engage with Russia "through every available channel" and make every effort to bring home the "wrongfully detained" WNBA star.

After a series of back-and-forths, the Russian government finally agreed to free Griner last December in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was in a U.S. jail for arms trafficking, money laundering, and conspiring to kill Americans.

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Written by: Bert Hoover

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