President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke to Brittney’s Griner’s wife Cherelle during a phone call Wednesday (July 6). The call arrives after Cherelle pled with U.S. officials to have Biden call her for the past several weeks. CNN reported that during the conversation, the Biden administration tried to assure Cherelle that the United States is doing everything it can to make sure her wife is brought home safely, and as quickly as possible.
White House officials said that Biden even read her a draft of a letter he was planning to send back to Griner. There is no telling if the phone call will be enough to alleviate what Cherelle has been going through for months. White House officials say since then, Biden has “directed his national security team to remain in regular contact with Cherelle and Griner’s family, and with other families of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad, to keep them updated on efforts to secure the release of their loved ones as quickly as possible.”
Griner recently decided to take action and penned a letter to the president. In the letter, she asked for assistance with both her release and the release of other American citizens. Although the entire letter wasn’t made available to the public, one section describes Griner’s biggest fear. “I’m terrified I might be here forever,” she wrote. Although Griner touched on how she normally celebrated the holiday, she also let the president know that she believed in him. “I realize you are dealing with so much, but please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home. I voted for the first time in 2020 and I voted for you. I believe in you,” she said
Since being detained in February, Brittney Griner has been one of the main topics of discussion within the sports world. The WNBA star remains locked up in a Russian prison on drug trafficking charges. With the assistance of the Biden administration, hopefully not for much longer. Many fear that her criminal trial may lead to more time spent in Russia. As previously reported by REVOLT, her detention has been extended on several occasions. During her most recent court hearing, six months was added to her detainment. The progress couldn’t be moving any slower.