Brittney Griner speaks for the first time since her release from a Russian penal colony: WNBA star thanks Joe Biden, says she knows the White House is ‘committed’ to bringing ex-Marine Paul Whelan back
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Brittney Griner has issued her first statement since she was released from a Russian penal colony in a prisoner exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The WNBA star thanked the Biden Administration and said she knows the White House is “committed” to bringing home former US Marine Paul Whelan, who remains imprisoned in Russia.
‘It feels so good to be home!’ Griner wrote on Instagram. ‘The last 10 months have been a battle in every way. I searched deeply to keep my faith and it was the love from so many of you that kept me going. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for your help.’
Brittney Griner has issued her first statement since she was released from a Russian penal colony in a prisoner exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Paul Whelan, a former US Marine charged with espionage and arrested in Russia, listens to his lawyers as he stands inside the defendants’ cage during a court hearing in Moscow on January 22, 2019. Griner said that she is “sure” that the White House can bring him home too.
‘President Biden, you brought me home and I know you are committed to bringing Paul Whelan and all Americans home too. I will use my platform to do everything I can to help you. I also encourage everyone who played a role in bringing me home to continue their efforts to bring all Americans home. Every family deserves to be complete.
‘As I transition home to enjoy the holidays with my family, I want to acknowledge and thank the entire PISA staff and medical team at the San Antonio Fort Hood base. I appreciate the time and care to make sure I was well and equipped with the tools for this new journey. I also want to make one thing very clear: I intend to play basketball for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury this season, and in doing so, I look forward to saying ‘thank you’ to those of you who advocated, wrote and published for me in person soon.
Griner also thanked several people, including his wife, Cherelle, the White House and his agents at Wasserman.
‘I am grateful to every person who advocated for me, especially my wife, Cherelle Griner, my family, [my agents] Lindsay Kagawa Colas and Casey Wasserman and my entire team at Wasserman, [Phoenix Mercury president] Vince Kozar and Phoenix Mercury, the WNBA players and my entire WNBA family, Terri Jackson and WNBPA staff, my Russian legal team Maria Blagovolina and Alex Boykov, leaders, activists and grassroots organizations, Governor Richardson and Mickey Bergman of the Richardson Center, the Bring Our Families Home campaign, Roger Carstens and the SPEHA team and, of course, a special thanks to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken and the entire Biden-Harris administration.