One year following her release from a Russian prison, two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner has urged the public to shift their focus to other Americans who are "wrongfully detained" globally.
Griner, a renowned basketball player, was apprehended in Russia with a vape cartridge containing less than a gram of hash oil. This occurred while she was entering the country to play for UMMC Ekaterinburg during the WNBA offseason, a routine she had maintained since 2014.
Despite the United States government's classification of her detention as wrongful, Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison on drug smuggling charges. The Phoenix Mercury star's appeal for a reduced sentence was unsuccessful, and she was subsequently transferred to a Russian Penal colony located 270 miles southeast of Moscow.
However, on December 8, 2022, Griner was released in a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. A year after this emotional day, Griner has issued a statement as the Christmas season approaches.
In an Instagram post, she wrote, "Hello, everyone. This time of year is about spending time with loved ones. One year ago today, because of President Biden, his team and the support of many of you, our family was one of the 58 families made whole by this Administration. Our family was able to spend the holidays together, a priceless gift."
Griner continued, "Even as we celebrate this season, and as our family celebrates today, we must not forget that our work is not done. There are Americans still wrongly detained in countries around the world, including Paul and Evan in Russia and several Americans held in Venezuela."
She urged her followers to remember these detained Americans during the holiday season, encouraging them to share their stories, write letters, or contact their representatives about these individuals.
Since her release a year ago, Griner has been an advocate for the return of other Americans detained in foreign countries. To further share her story, the 6-foot-7 nine-time All-Star has collaborated with ESPN and Disney Entertainment to produce a documentary feature and scripted series about her experience.
U.S. President Joe Biden commented on Griner's release last year, as she was considered a "high-profile" detainee due to her American celebrity status. There were also concerns about how Griner's treatment would be affected as a woman, a minority, and a member of the LGBTQ+ community.
"Shes safe, shes on a plane, shes on her way home," Biden announced at the White House on December 8, 2022. He added, "After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along. This is a day weve worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release."
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