A handwritten letter from Britney Greener was delivered to the White House on Monday morning, according to the Greener family, which provided copies to reporters. In her letter, the incarcerated WNBA star asked the president not to forget her and said her already deep appreciation for Independence Day took on new meaning this year.
“I am terrified that I could stay here forever,” wrote Griner, who has been detained in Russia since mid-February. “On the 4th of July, our family usually honors the service of those who fought for our freedom, including my father, who is a veteran of the Vietnam War. It pains me to think about how I usually celebrate this day, because freedom means something completely different to me this day of the year.”
Griner, whose trial began last week, was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russia said she had cannabis oil in her luggage. A Russian judge ordered Griner, the Phoenix Mercury center who played in Russia during the WNBA offseason, to remain in custody during the trial.
The US said Greener was wrongfully detained.
WNBA basketball superstar Brittney Greiner arrives for a court hearing in Khimki, outside Moscow on June 27, 2022. KIRIL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images
In his personal plea, Greener urged Mr. Biden to release all American prisoners. “I realize you are dealing with so much,” she wrote, “But please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do whatever you can to bring us home.’
Griner notes in the letter that she voted for Mr. Biden in 2020 when she first voted. “I believe in you. I still have so much to do with my freedom that you can help restore,” she wrote.
While some supporters support the prisoner swap, Greener’s detention and trial come at a low point in U.S.-Russia relations amid the war in Ukraine.
“We believe that the Russian Federation is wrongfully detaining Brittney Griner. President Biden has been clear about the need to see all US citizens held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad released, including Brittney Griner. The U.S. government continues to work aggressively — using all available means — to bring her home,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement Monday. “The president’s team is in regular contact with Britney’s family, and we will let’s keep working to support her family.
Greener’s wife, Cherrell, and his family had no further comment on the letter.
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Catherine Herridge
Kathryn Herridge is a senior investigative correspondent for CBS News covering national security and intelligence based in Washington, DC
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