WNBA star Brittney Griner has received written correspondence from her wife and loved ones while being detained in Russia.
Back in February, the Olympic gold medalist was arrested after she was accused of carrying hashish oil in her luggage.
Since her arrest, Griner has been held at a detention centre in Khimki City, 14 miles northwest of downtown Moscow. According to the human rights group Public Monitoring Commission, she is sharing a cell with two other prisoners.
One of the group’s members, Ekaterina Kalugina, is quoted by TASS saying Griner has not complained about her conditions, although the beds in her cell are “clearly designed for a shorter person”.
Over the last few months, Griner’s lawyers and representatives have been tirelessly working to get the beloved basketball player back to the United States. However, numerous roadblocks have unfortunately prolonged the process.
Back in March, a Moscow court “granted the request of the investigation and extended the period of detention of the US citizen Griner until May 19.”
Once the aforementioned date arrived, the court extended Griner’s custody by an additional month.
Alongside her drawn-out custody, the Phoenix Mercury player has also been unable to communicate with her loved ones – including her wife and family.
In a recent interview with CNN, Griner’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas revealed that while she’s unable to initiate contact, she has received letters of support.
“While sporadic, written communication from her wife, family, friends and global sports community has been a source of comfort for BG during her wrongful detainment, going without real-time, regular contact with loved ones is inhumane,” she told the news outlet.
“It remains clear that Brittney Griner is being used as a political pawn, and it is imperative that President Biden do whatever is necessary to return Brittney home quickly and safely.”
CNN also revealed Griner’s legal team has been sending letters and printing out emails through the Russian mail system connected to her aforementioned detention centre.
The recent news surrounding the talented star athlete comes a month after US State Department reclassified Griner as “wrongfully detained”.
“The welfare and safety of US citizens abroad is among the highest priorities of the US government,” they said via ESPN.
“The Department of State has determined that the Russian Federation has wrongfully detained US citizen Brittney Griner.
“… The US government will continue to undertake efforts to provide appropriate support to Ms Griner.”
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