WASHINGTON — U.S. embassy officers met with detained basketball star Brittney Griner on Thursday, the White Home and State Division mentioned.
State Division spokesman Ned Value mentioned in a tweet that U.S. Embassy officers in Moscow who visited Griner “noticed firsthand her tenacity and perseverance regardless of her current circumstances.”
Talking to reporters touring on Air Drive One, White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned that Griner “is doing in addition to may be anticipated below the circumstances.” Jean-Pierre mentioned it stays a “high precedence” for the Biden administration to safe Griner’s launch.
Griner, the Phoenix Mercury heart and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was arrested in February at a Moscow airport. Russian authorities mentioned she arrived within the nation with vape canisters containing hashish oil in her baggage.
She was discovered responsible in August of making an attempt to smuggle unlawful narcotics into the nation and sentenced to 9 years in jail. A Russian court docket denied her enchantment in October, upholding the jail time period.
“We proceed to press for the rapid launch of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan and truthful remedy for each detained American,” Value mentioned in his tweet.
Whelan, a U.S. citizen and former Marine, was detained in a Moscow lodge in 2018 and was accused of spying. He’s presently serving a 16-year jail sentence.
Relations of each Griner and Whelan have pressured the Biden administration to do extra to deliver them again house.
“The U.S. authorities made a major supply to the Russians to resolve the present unacceptable and wrongful detentions of Americans,” Jean-Pierre mentioned.
“Regardless of a scarcity of fine religion negotiation by the Russians, the U.S. authorities has continued to observe up on that provide and suggest various potential methods ahead with Russians via all out there channels. This continues to be a high precedence,” she added.
