Brittney Griner urges President Biden to bring Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia home

Brittney Griner urges President Biden to bring Wall Street Journal reporter held in Russia home as she expresses her concern on social media – after her 10-month detention

Brittney Griner has urged the Biden administration to keep using ‘every tool possible’ to win the release of a US reporter accused of spying in Russia.

Griner and her wife Cherelle wrote on Instagram that ‘our hearts are filled with great concern’ for Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal writer arrested by Russia’s FSB security service last week in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg.

The Kremlin says Gershkovich was using journalism as a cover for spying activity – something his newspaper, the Wall Street Journal, has vehemently denied.

Russia has not made public any evidence to support the charges, under which Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in jail. The White House has described the accusations as ‘ridiculous’ and President Joe Biden has called on Moscow to release him.

The Griners said they were appreciative of Biden’s ‘deep commitment to rescue Americans’. They cited the cases of aid worker Jeff Woodke, freed last month after being kidnapped for more than six years in West Africa, and Paul Rusesabagina, a permanent US resident who returned home last week after being released from prison in Rwanda.

Brittney Griner (R) has urged the Biden administration to bring home a detained WSJ journalist 

WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich is detained in Russia on allegations of being an American spy

WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich is detained in Russia on allegations of being an American spy

Griner, who was detained in Russia for 10 months, released a statement with her wife Saturday

Griner, who was detained in Russia for 10 months, released a statement with her wife Saturday

‘Our hearts are filled with great concern for Evan Gershkovich and his family since Evan’s detainment in Russia,’ the statement read.

‘We are grateful for President Biden and his administration’s deep commitment to rescue 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 us all. That is why we can 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 wrongly detained Americans home.’ 

Griner, who had played professionally in Russia since 2014, was returning to the country last February when she was stopped at the Moscow airport with vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.

Ultimately, Griner was convicted in August and sentenced to nine years in a Russian prison. A subsequent appeal was denied in October. 

She was released from a Russian penal colony on December 8 after Biden sanctioned an exchange, giving convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout, otherwise known as ‘The Merchant of Death’, back to Russia. 

Since her return to US soil Griner signed a one-year deal with the Phoenix Mercury – the last WNBA team she played for prior to being detained.

Griner’s first game will be aired on ESPN when the WNBA season begins in May.  

Griner arrived at Kelly Field in San Antonio following her release in prisoner swap in December

Griner arrived at Kelly Field in San Antonio following her release in prisoner swap in December

Griner missed all of last season following her imprisonment, last playing in the WNBA in 2021

Griner missed all of last season following her imprisonment, last playing in the WNBA in 2021

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