Brittney Griner’s wife Cherelle Griner has been front and center during her wife’s 10-month detention in Russia. She has done everything from finish law school to plead publicly for her release.
In an interview with CBS Mornings, Cherelle spoke out for the first time since her wife’s sentencing two months ago. She said that her wife is at “the weakest moment of her life.”
Cherelle Griner’s reaction to Brittney’s arrest
Cherelle Griner said she cried her eyeballs out after she learned Brittney had been arrested in Russia. The WNBA star was caught with vape canisters full of cannabis oil, which she says she was carrying to treat her chronic pain.
Since then, Cherelle has been calling for Brittney’s release and speaking out on social media. She has also been attending WNBA games, where her wife was honored for her contributions to the league.
On Tuesday, Cherelle told CBS’s Gayle King that President Biden had summoned her to the White House and that the first thing he said to her was, “We got her.”
The president also announced that he authorized the prisoner swap that made it possible for Griner’s release. It involved returning arms dealer Viktor Bout to Russia in exchange for Paul Whelan, another American believed to be wrongfully detained by the Russian government. The move is a sign that the United States is prepared to take a more aggressive approach in Griner’s case.
Brittney’s sentence
In what has become an increasingly high-stakes case, the Russian court that convicted Brittney Griner for drug possession has rejected her appeal. The court’s decision is expected to put the WNBA star’s fate further out of her control and send her to serve nine years in a prison colony.
The ruling drew renewed calls from Washington for her release, and prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to publicly announce that the U.S. has made a “substantial proposal” to Russia for a prisoner exchange with Griner and another American detainee, Paul Whelan.
Earlier this year, President Biden met the Griner family and gave them updates on his administration’s efforts to secure her release. In a handwritten letter, Griner pleaded with Biden not to forget her and asked him to continue to pursue every avenue to free her.
The WNBA star’s wife, Cherelle Griner, said she felt Brittney was in the “absolute weakest moment” of her life as she awaits Tuesday’s hearing to appeal her sentence. She told reporters she was thankful for the people involved in her wife’s freedom.
Brittney’s appeal
WNBA star Brittney Griner’s appeal was rejected Tuesday by a Russian court, upholding her nine-year prison sentence. The Phoenix Mercury player is expected to be moved to a penal colony and served her sentence, according to AP.
Despite the rejection, Griner has held it together, her attorney Maria Blagovolina told PEOPLE Monday. She is still upset about the verdict, but has a strong fighting spirit, Blagovolina added.
Griner’s lawyers have also said they plan to use all available legal tools to try to get her release from Russia. They have asked the US government to pursue a prisoner exchange, which could help Griner get home to her family sooner.
Griner was jailed in February for carrying a small amount of cannabis oil in her luggage. She pled guilty and was sentenced to nine years in August, just short of the 10-year maximum.
Brittney’s release
After nine months of detention in Russia, WNBA star Brittney Griner is finally back home. She was released in a prisoner swap Thursday in a one-for-one exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Griner was convicted of drug possession in Russia in August and sentenced to nine years in prison. She was arrested in Moscow airport after customs officials found vape canisters containing cannabis oil and marijuana in her luggage.
She was also reportedly convicted of smuggling drugs into Russia, which is illegal.
In her first Instagram post since her wife’s release, Cherelle Griner shared a collage of people who helped make her heart whole. She thanked the Biden-Harris administration, SPEHA and everyone else who advocated for her return to the U.S.
The couple has also taken steps to re-engage in the political world as they focus on helping American citizens who have been wrongfully detained. Cherelle says she wants to help fight for the freedom of Paul Whelan, a former US Marine who was jailed in Russia last year and convicted on espionage charges.
