On Thursday, December 8, 2022, Brittney Griner was released from a penal colony in Russia. Griner was “wrongfully detained” with drug charges and spent 10 months as a prisoner. One month prior to Griner’s release the U.S. State Department made a statement in staunch disapproval of her being transferred to a penal colony saying, “Following a sham trial and the unjust sentencing of Brittney Griner, Moscow is transferring her from a prison in Moscow to a remote penal colony. It is another injustice layered on her ongoing unjust and wrongful detention.”
Griner decided a couple of weeks ago to cut her signature dreadlocks because they froze when she showered. Maria Blagovolina, Griner’s attorney, also shared that Griner recently battled the flu. The condition of Russian penal colonies have been described as brutal by former inmates. Blagovolina shared with ESPN’s TJ Quinn that Griner’s experience in the penal colony wasn’t as bad as it could have been. “She had honestly no complaints. Things could have been much worse,” Blagovolina said.
President Joe Biden and his administration agreed to a deal that would bring Griner home in exchange for Viktor Bout, an arms dealer also known as the “Merchant of Death.” Griner and Bout crossed paths on a tarmac as they were ushered to their respective government officials.
It was a bittersweet moment as the celebration for her release was justifiably met with the reality that there are a number of American nationals that remain abroad longing for their freedom.
It is no secret that at this time the Biden administration pushed for the release of not only Griner, but also retired United States Marine Paul Whelan. Whelan, who is Canadian-born and holds citizenship in the United States, Ireland, The United Kingdom and Canada, is serving a 16-year sentence at a Russian penal colony on espionage charges that the U.S. claims are completely baseless. Whelan is four years into his sentence and despite the Biden administration’s best efforts, the Kremlin rejected any attempt to secure his release.
President Biden made a statement following Griner’s release saying, “People all across the country have learned about Brittney’s story, advocated for her release, stood with her throughout this terrible ordeal. And I know that support meant a lot to her family.
I’m glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits. She — she’s relieved to finally be heading home. And the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma, and she deserves space, privacy, and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained.”
President Biden goes on to say, “Brittney is an incomparable athlete, a two-time Olympic Gold medalist for Team USA. She endured mistreatment and a show — at a show trial in Russia with characteristic grit and incredible dignity. She represents the best America — the best about America — just across the board, everything about her.
She wrote to me back in July. She didn’t ask for special treatment, even though we’ve been working on her release from day one. She requested a simple quote, ‘Please don’t forget about me and the other American detainees. Please do all you can to bring us home.’
We never forgot about Brittney. And we’ve not forgotten about Paul Whelan, who has been unjustly detained in Russia for years. This was not a choice of which American to bring home. We brought home Trevor Reed when we had a chance earlier this year. Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul’s case differently than Brittney’s. And while we have not yet succeeded in securing Paul’s release, we are not giving up. We will never give up.
We remain in close touch with Paul’s family, the Whelan family. And my thoughts and prayers are with them today. They have to have such mixed emotions today. And we’ll keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release. I guarantee that. I say that to the family: I guarantee you.
And I urge Russia to do the same to ensure that Paul’s health and humane treatment are maintained until we can — are able to bring him home.
I don’t want any American to sit wrongfully detained one extra day if we can bring that person home.”
The following statement by WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert echoed the sentiments of gratitude for Griner’s safe return home, “There has not been a day over the past ten months where we all haven’t had Brittney Griner on our minds and in our hearts and that has now turned into a collective wave of joy and relief knowing that she will soon be reunited with her family, the WNBA player community, and her friends. BG has shown extraordinary courage and dignity in the face of enormous adversity. The WNBA is grateful beyond measure to the Biden Administration, the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, and all those who played a role in bringing BG home today. Our hope is that Paul Whelan and every wrongfully detained American will be returned home safely and as soon as possible.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver released a statement recognizing the efforts of the basketball community in advocating for Griner. “Brittney has had to endure an unimaginable situation and we’re thrilled that she is on her way home to her family and friends. We thank the members of the NBA and WNBA community who never wavered in their efforts to raise awareness of Brittney’s unjust circumstances.”
Griner’s freedom after being wrongfully detained is a reason for unified celebration. Unfortunately, there are people in positions of political leadership that chose this moment to further agendas of division amongst Americans by perpetuating tropes that simply aren’t true. There are conversations that need to take place. Some of those conversations could be how this will impact future prisoner exchanges, the safety of players playing overseas, and finally, the pay disparity in the WNBA that force some players to seek overseas opportunities.
WNBA player Kelsey Plum recently said, “We’re not asking to get paid what the men get paid. We’re asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue shared.”
For the time being, Griner will remain at a medical facility in San Antonio as she receives physical and psychological evaluations and support. This is a necessary step for individuals post captivity. “She’s had a lot of psychological support,” Griner’s agent Lindsay Kagawa Colas said. “The resources are very robust. It’s very supportive and very BG-centered. It’s about her developing agency.”
While Griner’s return to the basketball court is unknown at this time, she has expressed the desire to help other people gain their freedom.